Power of the Moon
by Brightfire15
Summary: Sequel to Shadow of the Moon. An Alpha pack has come to Beacon Hills. They're led by Deucalion, a.k.a. the Demon Wolf and he has plans for Artemis. And a new enemy called the Darach has arisen and it seems another great battle is on the horizon. As Artemis prepares to ascend to True Alpha, she'll have to confront faces from her past and make choices that'll affect her future. R&R!
1. Tattoo

**Power of the Moon**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Teen Wolf**_

**Tattoo **

Her name was Artemis Moon.

Her life had once been a simple one, filled with the ordinaries of a regular teenager's life. But her life was anything but normal now. On the eve of her junior year of high school, Artemis Moon was bitten by an Alpha werewolf and became a lycanthrope. In the time that followed, Artemis struggled to control her inner beast with the help of her childhood friend and fellow lycanthrope, Derek Hale, while trying to find a cure for her curse. During that time, they learned the Alpha's identity and why he was killing people—he was Derek's uncle and taking revenge on those who'd slaughtered his family in the infamous Hale Fire, but not before he killed Derek's sister, Laura, to become an Alpha wolf.

Against Derek's wishes, Artemis befriended the youngest in a long line of werewolf hunters, Alison Argent. While trying to balance her new double-life, Artemis had sought a cure for her lycanthropy (which was rumored to be killing the Alpha that bit you) and also had to deal with her growing feelings for Derek and discover how she was suddenly able to feel his emotions and see into his memories. Later it was revealed that Alison's Aunt Kate had been the one to disregard the hunters' code and commit genocide. Kate had been killed by Peter in a final act of revenge as a result and Alison was brought into the supernatural world.

However, when the time came for Artemis to get the cure she sought, she refused it as no one knew for sure if Artemis killing her sire would remove her lycanthropy and Artemis feared it would just make her like Peter. So, Derek killed Peter to keep him out of their lives and to help Artemis better. Following that, Derek revealed that the link he and Artemis shared meant they were true mates, as werewolves only truly love one person once in their lifetimes. They professed their love for one another and chose to face the world together as werewolves.

For a brief time, there had been peace in Beacon Hills among the werewolves and the hunters, but then that peace was shattered.

In an effort to increase their strength, Derek had turned three of Artemis's classmates, Erica, Isaac and Boyd, into werewolves. They'd joined the pack out of their own free will and enjoyed being part of it as now they were stronger and even better, they'd all gained close friends and a family.

Artemis and Alison had been forced to end their friendship publicly as Alison's mother, Victoria, had threatened to kill Artemis with a gun full of wolfsbane bullets, if she came near Alison again. Chris had no problem with his daughter's friendship as Artemis had yet to do anything to get herself hunted, (at least in his opinion as he followed the hunter's code) but Alison and Artemis had agreed to fake the ending of their friendship and were secretly continuing it behind Victoria's back as they refused to let anything stand in the way of their friendship.

The situation worsened when Alison's grandfather, Gerard, came to Beacon Hills and declared war between the hunters and werewolves out of a desire for revenge for Kate's death. Things worsened further when Jackson, who'd found a vial of Peter's werewolf venom in his locker and used it to turn himself into a werewolf. The plan backfired as Jackson had some problems in his past that resulted in him turning into a kanima, a creature sworn to take vengeance on murderers on behalf of its master.

While trying to stop Jackson and learn his master's identity, Derek and Lydia were the victims of Peter's backup plan. When Peter had bitten Lydia, he knew the bite wouldn't kill or turn her because she was immune. For weeks, he tormented Lydia from beyond the grave until she finally gave into his demands and used Derek to resurrect Peter. He was just a weakened Beta wolf now, but no one trusted him and he was kept on short leash.

Jackson's master was eventually revealed to be Matt, a boy from Artemis's school with a heavy grudge against those that that had wronged him and an obsession over both Artemis and Alison. Matt was eventually stopped, but Gerard became the kanima's master and tried to use him as a way of controlling Artemis. It was revealed that Gerard had terminal cancer and sought to become an Alpha wolf in order to cure himself and grant himself power. But Artemis tricked him into taking werewolf venom laced with mountain ash, which stopped him for good.

With the combined efforts of Lydia, Derek and Peter, Jackson was freed of the kanima's curse and became a blue-eyed Beta wolf. The war between werewolves and hunters ended and things became somewhat quiet.

But even with the kanima gone and the war between hunters and werewolves over, trouble was on the horizon yet again in the form of an Alpha pack and the potential for a future Artemis had no idea she had.

XXX

The night was cold and dark as Isaac was dragged through the crappier part of Beacon Hills by a young girl. He was out cold and greatly injured—practically on the verge of death. But that was the least of their worries. If Isaac wasn't woken up, their pursuers would find them and destroy them.

After laying Isaac on the ground, the girl took a car's jumper cables and touched them to Isaac's chest to wake him up, like a doctor would use a hospital's paddles.

Isaac let out a gasp of pain at the feeling of the electricity zapping his chest as he was returned to consciousness. He then became aware of all the pain he was in from his injuries, which wasn't at all pleasant.

"Quiet!" hissed the girl.

"Ugh…" moaned Isaac. He felt his chest, which was burning from the jumper cables and bleeding from the wounds he'd sustained from the Alphas. "Who are you?"

"My name's Braeden. I'm trying to help you. Now, focus!" she hissed.

Without waiting for a reply, Braeden slung Isaac's arm over her shoulder and helped him to walk over to her motorcycle.

"Stay with me, Isaac. We're almost there," said Braeden.

Isaac nodded and tried to stay conscious, but it was quite difficult due to his wounds. He reached up and touched the back of his neck, which was throbbing with pain and marked with claw marks that were like puncture wounds.

"What'd they do to my neck?" asked Isaac.

"When a werewolf pierces the back of someone's neck with their claws, they can implant, share or extract memories," explained Braeden.

"Must be why I can't remember much about what happened," said Isaac. But what little he _could _remember wasn't good.

Boyd and Erica had been missing for the past three months. They'd gone a patrol one night and hadn't returned. They hadn't left of their own free will because Erica had been talking to Artemis on her cellphone right before Erica and Boyd had gone missing. When Erica dropped her cellphone, Artemis had heard the sounds of a fight and screams of protest before the phone had been smashed to bits.

All efforts from the pack and the police to find the two Betas had been fruitless, but they weren't about to give up. All they really knew was that Erica and Boyd's kidnappers were the members of the Alpha pack that Peter had warned them about them.

Isaac had gone on his own search for his pack mates that night and apparently, he'd run into a load of trouble. He faintly recalled bits and pieces of the Alpha pack, but the majority of his memories of that evening were a blank.

They came upon Braeden's motorcycle and got on. Braeden wrapped Isaac's hands around her waist.

"Listen to me, no matter what happens, you hold on tight and don't let go of me, okay?" said Braeden.

"Okay," said Isaac.

Isaac held on as tight as he could as Braeden put on her helmet and zoomed off.

For a while, Isaac stayed awake and held on as they drove through Beacon Hills, but then he frowned when his enhanced senses picked up on the sound of two heartbeats and the sound of two people running towards them.

"Braeden, someone's coming," said Isaac. "I hear them."

Isaac turned and looked behind them and saw not one, but two identical teenage boys running straight towards them at a speed only a werewolf could accomplish. They got close to the motorcycle and swiped at it with their claws as they glared at Isaac with bright red eyes.

"Drive faster!" yelled Isaac.

Braeden, having already spotted the two Alphas via her rearview mirrors, increased her speed and did many twists and turns, trying to throw them off. She nearly got them hit by a semi in the process and when she came upon a dead end, she was forced to turn around and drive straight through the two Alphas.

"Whoa!" yelled Isaac, as Braeden then drove through a large glass window.

But instead of crashing, they got through it and Braeden continued driving through the large warehouse. But Isaac's strength was nearly gone and he found himself falling back into unconsciousness.

"Isaac, stay with me!" yelled Braeden, when she felt his grip loosening. "Isaac!"

But Isaac didn't reply as he succumbed to unconsciousness for a brief moment and they crashed. Isaac fell off the bike and landed in a pile of junk while Braeden lay on the floor, having barely escaped being pinned by her motorcycle.

Isaac returned to consciousness, but his vision was blurred and he could barely move.

The two Alpha boys then entered the building. They slipped off their jackets and then one of them got onto the floor while the other plunged his hand into his back. Then, much to Isaac's shock, they merged into one giant, powerful Alpha.

Using what little strength he had left, Isaac crawled over to Braeden to try and protect her by covering her with his body. She'd saved his life. He owed her the same.

But Braeden came prepared. "Isaac, duck!"

Isaac did as commanded, and Braeden pulled out a military level stun gun from out of nowhere. She fired it at the combined Alphas. The stun gun zapped the living daylights out of them and forced them to separate. Then suddenly, they disappeared into thin air and the sounds of police sirens were heard.

Isaac and Braeden were both breathing hard and exhausted at this point. The look on Braeden's face was mixture of gratitude and impatience.

"I thought I told you to hold on!" she said.

Isaac's only response was to pass out just as the authorities arrived.

XXX

Meanwhile, across town, Artemis was out with Derek.

They were having a date night and had just gone out for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. Now, they were taking a drive around town, just talking and enjoying each other's company while listening to music.

"Huntress, you okay?" asked Derek, concerned. She'd been upset that day and though most of it had faded, he'd felt her sadness increase when a certain song was played on the car's radio.

Artemis, who'd been quiet for the past few minutes and staring out the car window, snapped out of her thoughts and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay," said Artemis, as she wiped her eyes of the tears that had fallen. "I'm sorry. It's just…this was her favorite song and it got me thinking of her, that's all."

Ten years ago on that very day, Artemis's older sister had run off in the middle of the night and disappeared. Efforts to find her had been fruitless. What they did find was her sister's duffle bag and other possessions in the woods either torn or bloody and there were signs she'd been attacked by an animal. Eventually, she was declared dead by the authorities and Artemis's father arranged for a gravestone for her sister to be placed in the cemetery.

Artemis had been devastated, for she'd greatly cared for her sister and wanted her back very badly. Every year, on the anniversary of her sister's disappearance, Artemis visited the cemetery with her mother. They'd lay a bouquet of her sister's favorite flowers on the grave and then Artemis would spend time with her mother before going off to try and distract herself from her feelings of grief and sadness.

Derek, having known what the day meant to Artemis, had taken her out in an effort to make her feel a little better. Artemis appreciated her mate's kindness as his efforts had taken Artemis's mind off her sadness for a while.

Derek reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "You don't have to explain. I get it. I feel the same way on the anniversary of the Hale Fire."

If anyone understood grief and loss, it was Derek. He'd lost his family in a fire and was estranged from his uncle. He was good at burying his grief, but sometimes it got to him like it would anyone else.

Artemis smiled at him, grateful for his understanding. "I love you."

"I love you too," said Derek. "So, has Isaac checked in yet?"

When Isaac had gone off on his search for Erica and Boyd, he'd promised to check in every few hours, to let Artemis and Derek know if he was okay.

"No. I haven't heard from him," said Artemis, worried. "Should we call the police or search ourselves?"

Artemis was already worried sick about Erica and Boyd. If Isaac disappeared too, she didn't know what she'd do.

Derek frowned and then sighed. "Give him a little more time. If he hasn't checked in by dawn, we'll call the police and search."

"Okay," said Artemis.

What harm could a little more time cause?

Derek pulled up to a red light and then Artemis saw Jackson and Lydia pull up beside them. Judging from their attire, they were on a date night, same as Artemis and Derek. When Lydia saw Artemis, she waved and the two girls shared a smile while Jackson groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Apparently, he didn't like continually running into Derek and Artemis.

Since Jackson was a Beta Wolf and no longer a kanima and had found his true mate in Lydia, Jackson's life had settled down somewhat. Under Derek's tutelage, he'd gotten his werewolf side under control and was part of the pack. He hadn't formed any deep, binding friendships with the others as he was still working on earning their trust, and he was bearing this with astounding patience and had become a different person.

Jackson was still sarcastic and hot-headed at times, but he was slowly becoming less of a jerk than he used to be.

Lydia, on the other hand, was adjusting far better than one would've expected. She was still unsettled by the supernatural world at times, but she was proving to be stronger than most people gave her credit for. She was still feisty, clever and the school's Teen Queen, but far less of a snob and she was even good friends with Artemis.

When the light turned green, Lydia and Jackson drove along the almost empty road as Derek and Artemis followed from behind, until they were forced to come to a screeching halt when a large deer came out of nowhere and went through the windshield of Lydia's car window.

Lydia screamed in terror as she hit the brakes and got out of the car. Jackson got out and tried to calm Lydia down while Artemis and Derek pulled over and got out.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Artemis, concerned.

"We're fine," said Jackson. He was holding Lydia in his arms and trying to calm her.

Lydia shook her head. "I'm _not _okay! I'm totally freaking out! How the heck did that deer just run straight into us?"

Artemis frowned. Lydia had a point. Normally when there was a car accident involving a deer, the deer didn't just run head first into the car like that. Deer were shy, easily frightened creatures, but this was a bit much. This couldn't be normal.

"I saw its eyes just before it hit us," said Jackson. "It was like it was crazy."

Derek frowned as he looked over the deer and smelled it. "It wasn't crazy. It was scared to death."

"What could've scared it that badly?" asked Lydia.

"Best guess? A werewolf," said Derek, grimly. "Most likely, one of the Alphas."

Jackson and Lydia looked worried.

"What do we do?" asked Lydia.

"For starters, relax until we get more intel," said Artemis. She was worried too, but she was forcing herself to stay calm. "I called a tow truck and the police. They're on their way. Do you guys want a lift or stay here?"

"We'll stay. If anything happens, we'll call," said Jackson. He could protect Lydia if something came at them and if he needed backup, he knew who to phone.

Derek and Artemis accepted this, and then they departed.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the Beacon Hills hospital, Isaac and Braeden were being brought in for some much-needed medical treatment.

When the police had investigated reported by some concerned citizens, they'd found Isaac and Braeden in need of help, so they'd called an ambulance. Fortunately, Melissa Moon was on call and was able to help.

"Wait, hold on a minute, I know this one," said Melissa, as Isaac was wheeled in. "What happened, Isaac? Why aren't you healing?"

"It's not important right now," said Isaac. His wounds had yet to heal as Alpha-caused wounds took longer to heal than others. He knew it was a risk to be at the hospital as it would cause suspicion when he finally healed, but he couldn't have cared less at the moment as he was more worried about Braeden. "Braeden…the girl…she's worse. Please, help her."

Melissa nodded. "Okay, I will. Just try and heal up, okay? I'm going to call Derek."

Isaac nodded and then he was taken away.

Melissa then spoke to Braeden, who was in poor shape as well and kept muttering something about finding someone. "Hey, Braeden, is it? You're going to be okay, I promise." To comfort the poor girl, she held Braeden's hand in hers and Braeden responded by tightly gripping Melissa's hand.

"I have to find the Alpha," moaned Braeden.

Melissa frowned. "What do you want with Derek Hale?"

Melissa had become aware of Artemis's lycanthropy and the wolf pack some time ago and while she wished Artemis could have a normal life, she was protective of her daughter and the pack, including Artemis's mate. At the moment, Derek was the only Alpha wolf in town. What could the girl want with him?

"Not Hale. His mate," she said, as she winced in pain. "Moon. Artemis Moon. The True Alpha. I have to find her and tell her…"

Melissa's heart skipped a beat. The knowledge of Artemis's True Alpha potential was kept in a small circle. How could this girl know of Artemis's secret and what did she want with Melissa's daughter?

But Braeden said nothing more as she had passed out and was taken away.

XXX

The following morning, Artemis headed to school.

With Gerard gone, there was a new principal. A normal, sane _human _principal, which was a relief as Artemis hadn't enjoyed having to constantly be on her guard from the school's superiors.

The day promised to be an interesting one. The weather was nice, Alison had returned and was going to meet Artemis at the school with Lydia, Stiles was researching vehicle accidents involving deer to find a connection between them and last night's accident, and Artemis was going to meet Derek at the hospital later. Isaac had turned up and they were going to get him out of there as soon as they could.

As usual, Artemis received a few stares and envious looks as she rode into school on her new motorcycle. After saving for months, she'd purchased it as splurge reward for getting through the kanima and werewolf-hunter war. She loved riding it as the speed and wind in her hair made her feel so free.

As she parked, she couldn't help but notice two new motorcycles that were identical and way more expensive than hers.

_New students_, she decided. She frowned at the scent that hit her nose. _New werewolf students. _Two new werewolves in the school? This couldn't be good.

"Arty, over here," said Stiles. He was waving at her from the front steps.

"Hey, Stiles," said Artemis. "So, how'd the search go?"

"Honestly? Badly. Do you have _any _idea how many car accidents involve deer?" said Stiles. "Two hundred and forty-seven thousand."

Artemis grimaced. "Yikes. But there has to be some way of narrowing it down, right? Deer-related car accidents usually involve the deer crossing the street. This one hit Lydia's car windshield head on."

"I know. I'm still searching. If I find anything, I'll let you know," said Stiles.

There had to be some kind of explanation for the deer's behavior, but what?

"Arty!"

Artemis spun around to see Alison, looking fabulous and happy as she ran over to her with Lydia at her side. They shared a tight embrace, enjoying their reunion after so many months apart.

"Hey, Ally!" said Artemis, as they broke apart. "I've missed you so much. It's wonderful to see you. You look great. I take Europe was good to you?"

After the loss of Victoria, Alison's mother and the business with Gerard and the kanima, Chris had taken Alison on a trip to Europe to give her a break. They'd retired from hunting and were trying to live normal lives now.

Alison nodded. "Yeah, it was great. I've got so much to tell you and Lydia about it. My dad even took me to visit Paris. It was so amazing. I wish you could've been there to see it."

"Tell me about it. Do you know how long I've been dying to go to Paris? Years," said Artemis, enviously. She'd been longing to visit Paris since she was five years old.

"Speaking of France, did you date any hot French guys while you were there, Alison?" asked Lydia.

Alison shook her head. "No."

Lydia looked disbelieving. "Come on! You're telling me you were in Europe for _four months _and didn't date even _one _hot guy?"

When Alison nodded, Artemis forced herself not to laugh at the look on Lydia's face.

"You seriously need to get into dating, Alison, or all the good guys will be taken by the time you get to college," said Lydia, shaking her head.

"Cut me some slack. Besides, not all of us are lucky enough to get a gorgeous, devoted werewolf boyfriend like you and Artemis," said Alison.

"She's right. Besides, we're all young and still in high school. There's plenty of time for dating," said Stiles.

"True," admitted Lydia. She looked over her shoulder and then grinned. "But here's your chance to at least try to date, Alison. Two gorgeous guys are headed this way."

Lydia was right.

Two good-looking twin brothers dressed in dark-colored clothes and leather jackets were walking by them and looking at the girls. They were smiling and winking, causing Lydia and Alison to blush, but Artemis stiffened.

"Not good," she murmured.

"What is it?" asked Stiles.

"They're not just twin brothers. They're also my kind," said Artemis. She could smell it on them.

Stiles looked concerned. "Are they part of the Alpha pack?"

"Most likely," said Artemis. _An Alpha pack comes to Beacon Hills, kidnaps Boyd and Erica, Isaac's most likely attacked by Alphas and now these two show up at the school? No way, this is a coincidence. _

Alison frowned in confusion. "Alpha pack? What Alpha pack?"

Artemis and Stiles winced and exchanged looks. They'd forgotten Alison didn't know. Alison had left for her trip before they'd found out about the Alpha pack and Artemis's True Alpha potential and they couldn't risk the information being intercepted over the phone or computer, so Artemis hadn't told her.

"It's a long story. I'll explain on the way," said Artemis. The bell rang, signaling the time for class. "Come on."

As they walked to class, Artemis filled Alison in.

XXX

At the hospital, Derek was with Melissa, looking over Isaac's wounds.

Melissa had called him as soon as Isaac had been brought in, not just because he was Isaac's Alpha. With Isaac's birth parents both gone, Derek was Isaac's legal guardian and emergency contact.

"You're healing well," said Derek, as he replaced the bandage on Isaac's wound.

Isaac's wounds were still there, but already they were smaller and slowly disappearing.

Melissa raised an eyebrow. "Healing _well? _I know I'm still relatively new to all this, but shouldn't he be healing faster than this?"

"Normally, yes. But wounds caused by an Alpha take longer to heal than others," said Derek. He took a vial out of his pocket. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain and speed up the healing."

After Artemis nearly died of wolfsbane poisoning, Derek had talked to Dr. Deaton and the vet had provided Derek with a few things in case of an emergency.

Isaac took the vial and drank it, wincing at the vile taste as he did so. But already it was producing the desired effects as he began looking better than before. He reached out and took Derek's hand and held it tight.

"I'm really glad you're here," said Isaac. He'd been scared to death earlier, and having Derek here made him feel safe and unafraid.

Derek couldn't help but smile as he squeezed Isaac's hand. "You're part of the family. I look after my family."

Isaac nodded and then looked concerned. "Derek, there's something I need to tell you. Alone."

Derek nodded and then turned to Melissa. "Melissa, I'm going to have to sign Isaac out A.M.A. before they get him into surgery. Could you get the paperwork?"

Melissa nodded and left the room, leaving the two werewolves free to talk.

"Isaac, what's wrong?" asked Derek.

"I didn't want say this in front of Melissa, in case I was wrong. But I think one of the Alphas is part of Artemis's family," said Isaac.

Derek frowned. "What makes you say that?" Last time he checked, Artemis was the only lycanthrope in her family.

"I don't remember what happened when I got hurt, but I think I took something from one of them. The scent on it kind of smells like Artemis's except it's also different. It's in my jacket pocket."

Derek rose up and searched through Isaac's jacket, which lay on a table in the room. What he found in one of the pockets unsettled him.

"Isaac, I'll be right back," said Derek.

He had to get Artemis at the hospital and fast. Something this big couldn't be told just through their link. He had to tell her in person.

XXX

By the time English Literature came around, Alison was completely filled in on everything she'd missed since she'd left. She wasn't at all pleased to have been left out of the loop for so long and even though she and Chris were retired as hunters, Alison promised to help Artemis and the pack in any way she could.

Artemis had just taken her usual seat in class when her cellphone and everyone else's went off. There was a text message that looked more like a quotation from a book. Artemis's guess turned out be right when the new English teacher, Miss Jennifer Blake, came in and recited it.

"'_The offing was barred by a bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the utmost ends of the earth, flowed somber under an overcast sky seemed to lead into a heart of immense darkness_,'" said Jennifer. "Hello. I'm your new English teacher, Jennifer Blake. What I just sent to you all is the last line of the book we're going to read. Can anyone tell me what it is?"

Artemis raised her hand. English was her best subject and for the past few months, she'd extended her literature.

"Yes, Miss—?"

"Moon. Artemis Moon. The quote is from the book, _Heart of Darkness _by Joseph Conrad," said Artemis.

Jennifer looked pleased as she nodded. "Correct. Now, _Heart of Darkness _is a tale of…" She went on with the lesson and soon had the students take notes. This stopped when the principal came in and whispered something to her.

"Miss Moon, could I see you for a moment, please?" asked Jennifer.

Wondering what this could be about; Artemis grabbed her bag and went into the hall with Jennifer.

"Is everything okay?" asked Artemis.

"I'm not sure. It seems your mom's called you out of school and is requesting you come to the hospital immediately," said Jennifer. She looked concerned. "Artemis, I know we've only just met, but if there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm aware of your record and I'd hate to see anything bad happen to such a good student."

Artemis nodded and faked a smile. "Yeah, sure. But I'm sure it's nothing too serious. Well, I'll see you around."

Jennifer nodded and then Artemis left the school.

While driving to the hospital, Artemis contacted Derek through their link.

_Derek, what's happening at the hospital? _asked Artemis. _Is Isaac or my mom in trouble? _

_Quite possibly, but I'm not sure yet_, said Derek. _Anyway, that's not why I had Melissa get you out of school. There's something I need to tell you and I'd rather do it in person because I don't know how you're going to take it. _

Artemis bit her lip in worry. _Is it bad news? _

_Honestly, I don't know. But it's important. Just get here and I'll tell you_, said Derek.

And with that, Artemis increased her bike's speed and got to the hospital. She wasted no time getting inside and locating Derek. He was waiting for her in the lobby and she could feel his agitation and worry.

"Derek, what's wrong?" asked Artemis.

For a moment, Derek didn't reply as he pulled her aside. "Huntress, your sister…did they ever find her body when she was declared dead or her necklace that you said she always wore?" he asked, hesitantly.

Artemis looked confused. "No. Why?" Her sister's body was never found. Her grave was empty. And the necklace that her sister loved so much that she never took it off had never been found either.

Derek sighed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a necklace, which he placed in Artemis's hands.

Artemis couldn't believe her eyes. It was a round silver locket with a picture of the full moon on the front. Inside was a picture of Artemis and her sister from years ago. Engraved on the back were the words, "_Sisters of the Moon_."

"Where did you get this?" asked Artemis, hoarsely. This was her sister's. Artemis had given it to her sister for her birthday years ago.

Derek sighed again. "Isaac pulled it off one of the Alphas that attacked him last night. I'm sorry, Huntress. I had no idea. I swear I didn't."

Artemis's breath caught in her throat. One of the Alphas had had this? But that meant that her sister was…

"No, no, _no!_" said Artemis. She pocketed the locket and forced back the tears that stung her eyes. "No. This isn't possible. My sister is _dead. _She's not—she _can't _be…this isn't happening!" Artemis wanted to have her sister back alive and well, but not like this. If Artemis's sister was an Alpha, that meant she was alive and had let Artemis think she was dead. It also meant she'd taken a life, had a hand in what happened to Artemis's pack mates, and had probably became a murderer.

Derek held Artemis and rubbed her back for a few moments, trying to calm her down. Artemis buried her face in Derek's shoulder, grateful for his comforting presence.

They broke apart when Melissa approached them.

"Glad I found you," said Melissa. "Listen, we've got a problem. Isaac's missing."

Derek's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean he's missing? He's in his room, isn't he?"

Melissa shook her head. "I just checked. He's gone and so is the girl he came in with."

_Oh, crap. _Isaac was missing. Could this day get any worse?

"Mom, call security. Derek and I will split up and search the hospital to try and find him," said Artemis. She would tell Melissa about her sister later. Right now, she had to help Isaac before it was too late.

And with that, they split up and searched the hospital.

XXX

Artemis's search led her to take the elevator up the floor of Isaac's room.

The elevator was just closing when a blind man's cane poked in. Artemis grabbed the elevator door and forced it open. There was a tall blind man with blond hair, pale skin, dark purple colored sunglasses, and nice-looking dark colored clothes.

"Thank you," he said. His accent was British. "Would you mind hitting the button for the second floor, please?"

"Sure," said Artemis. She hit the button and the elevator took off. Soon, they arrived. "We're here."

"Good. Excuse me for asking, but would you mind helping me for a minute?" he asked.

Normally, Artemis wouldn't have refused to help someone in need, but there was a bit of an emergency going on. Before she could think of a polite refusal, he placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen.

Werewolf scent emitted from his skin.

_He's a werewolf. Oh, great. But how can a werewolf be blind? _She could tell he wasn't faking his blindness, but it still left her baffled and worried. The werewolves were popping up everywhere. First the twins, then possibly her own sister and now this. What was next?

"Sure. I'll be happy to," lied Artemis. She wanted nothing more than to get away from him, but she couldn't do it just yet.

_Derek, I haven't found Isaac, but I think I found one of the Alphas_, said Artemis. _He's with me right now, but he's not doing anything suspicious. _

_I'm on my way_, said Derek. _What is he doing? _

_He's using me for a guide. He's blind. How is that even possible? _asked Artemis.

She then felt a great deal of anger and fear emitting from Derek.

_He's blind? _said Derek, sharply.

_Yeah. _

_Huntress, you need to get out of there now! That's Deucalion! _said Derek. _That's the Alpha pack's leader, the Demon Wolf!_

Artemis's blood ran cold and she forced herself to stay calm. The leader of the Alphas, the Demon Wolf who was a power-hungry nutcase, was with her and most likely had the advantage. She had to get away from him, but how?

Before she could do anything, however, Deucalion's cane tapped against a bench that was seated outside one of the hospital rooms.

"Miss, you can leave me here," said Deucalion. "This is my stop. Thank you for your assistance."

Artemis bit back a sigh of relief as she helped him sit down. "You're Welcome. Nice meeting you, sir."

"Pleasure's all mine," said Deucalion, smiling.

Deucalion's smile sent a chill down Artemis's spine that she forced herself to ignore as she resumed her search for Isaac.

Before long, she saw Isaac in a wheelchair, obviously heavily sedated and being taken into an elevator by a nurse. Except, she wasn't a nurse. Artemis could tell because no nurse went barefoot on duty. One of the Alphas was taking Isaac.

Quickly, Artemis wolfed out and let out a roar as she ran into the elevator. She got in it just as the doors closed. She landed on the floor and faced the Alpha, who had also wolfed out and looked shocked to see her.

"Kalika?" gasped Artemis.

"Artemis," said Kali, shocked.

It had been ten years and she'd aged, but Artemis always recognized Kalika, or Kali as she was more commonly known as. How could she not recognize her own sister?

Artemis quickly stood up and the two sisters encircled each other.

Kali was taller, her hair longer and her skin darker, but she was still Artemis's sister. Her eyes were glowing bright Alpha red, there were fangs in her mouth, her claws on her hands and feet were painted with black nail polish and there was a wedding ring on Kali's left hand.

Artemis couldn't deny it any longer. Kali was alive and she was an Alpha.

"You're really here. I can't believe this," said Artemis.

"Long time no see, little sister," said Kali. "I see you've been well. Though I've got to say, I didn't imagine you'd ever be one of us. So, can I assume that the rumors I've been hearing about you are true?"

Artemis scoffed. "Small talk. Really? You know what, I can't believe you! You've been alive all this time and you didn't tell me?" Artemis was hurt and angry. She'd spent ten years grieving for Kali and it had all been for nothing. "And not only that, but you're part of the Alpha pack! Kali, what the heck happened to you?"

Kali had always been ambitious, fierce, brave, loyal to what she believed in and strong. But faking her death and becoming part of the Alpha pack? What could've happened that would make her so cold and ruthless?

"Let's just say I had to undergo a few changes the night I left," said Kali, smirking as her red eyes glowed even brighter. "Like it? I'm stronger, faster and more powerful than ever. Nothing can touch me."

Artemis growled in anger. Power. Was that all Kali cared about?

"I searched for you!" she hissed. "I searched for _months_ and I grieved for you for _years _after you disappeared! Do you have any idea what losing you did to me and Mom? You were my sister. I loved you. I looked up to you! You swore you'd always be there for me. Do you have any idea how much it hurt when I thought you were _dead? _Did I really mean nothing to you?"

Artemis knew people changed and hearts could be corrupted. She knew how cruel people could be, even to their own blood-kin. But she'd never thought that Kali would be one of those people. How could Kali let her family think her dead and become a monster?

Regret flickered across Kali's face for the briefest of moments before it vanished. "It's in the past. Nothing I can do about it," she said, not sounding the least bit sorry.

Artemis growled again. "Then let's focus on the present. What're you doing with Isaac?"

"I'm just following orders," said Kali. "Your little pack mate was snooping around where he shouldn't. Deucalion wants him dealt with. That and I want what he stole from me."

Artemis knew what she meant. She stood protectively in front of Isaac and tossed Kali her locket. She caught it with ease and put it back on her neck.

"Keep the locket," said Artemis. _Even though you don't deserve it. _"But you don't have to take Isaac. You don't have to do this." She didn't want to have to fight her sister, but if she had to do it in order to protect her pack, then so be it. "Don't take him, Kali. You won't win if you try."

Kali smirked. "Oh, really?"

Before Artemis could react, Kali grabbed her and flung her into the walls of the elevator several times and even tossed her into the ceiling before grabbing her by the throat and holding her in the air.

"You can't beat me, little sister," said Kali, smugly. "I'm an Alpha."

Suddenly, the Alpha doors opened and Derek appeared. He plunged his claws into Kali's back, forcing her to release Artemis.

Derek looked furious. "I'm an Alpha and she's my mate," he hissed. No one hurt his Huntress and got away with it. Not even her own sister.

Derek tossed Kali into the hallway where she was met by shocked looks from the hospital staff, including her own mother, Melissa, before she ran off, leaving Derek and Artemis to deal with the aftermath.

XXX

Meanwhile, the school was in a mess.

Stiles had found out animals were going berserk all over Beacon Hills, and he suspected that meant something big was going to happen. The last time animals had gone crazy like this was when Peter had gone after Artemis and terrorized Beacon Hills. Animals tended to pick up on dangers like that.

Stiles was right about the animals, as an enormous flock of crows attacked not long after Artemis had left. The crows that hadn't smacked headfirst into the windows broke through the windows and attacked Jennifer and the students.

Other incidents were reported throughout the school building and the rest of the day's classes were cancelled for the rest of the day as a result.

"Is it just me or is Beacon Hills turning into a beacon for the totally bizarre and the supernatural?" asked Lydia.

She, Jackson, Alison and Stiles were walking to their vehicles. Alison, Lydia and Jackson were headed home and Stiles was going to Derek's to meet Artemis and the other wolves.

"It's not just you," said Jackson. He was getting a little freaked out by it all.

Just then, Braeden came up to them. She'd snuck out of the hospital and was trying to find Artemis.

"Excuse me," she said, catching their attention. "My name is Braeden. You're Artemis Moon's friends, right? Do you know where she is?"

They all stared at her in confusion and slight distrust.

"Uh, she's at her boyfriend's place. Why?" asked Stiles. "Do you want a lift there?"

Braeden glanced at the crowd of departing students and looked terrified. "I don't have that kind of time. Just get this to her and tell her that big sister's here." She handed Stiles a slip of paper and then she ran off.

"What was that all about?" asked Alison.

"I don't know. But she's definitely crazy," said Jackson.

"What makes you say that?" asked Alison.

"Because Artemis's older sister Kali died ten years ago," said Lydia. "She went into the woods one night and never came back. Her stuff was found in woods all torn apart, like she'd been attacked by an animal or something."

They all stopped in their tracks at this and stared at each other in horrified realization.

"Oh, crap," muttered Stiles. An animal attack in Beacon Hills most likely meant a werewolf attack and in Kali's case, a turning. "I've got to talk to Artemis."

And with that, Stiles got into his jeep and drove to Derek's place.

XXX

Down in woods, lying on the ground fatally wounded from her fight with the Alphas was Braeden. She'd wanted to go with Stiles to speak with Artemis, but she'd seen three of the Alpha pack—Ennis, Kali's mate, and the twins Ethan and Aiden—watching her. Unwilling to risk their lives by going with them, Braeden had fled from Artemis's friends and tried to fight off the Alphas on her own.

She'd failed and now she was paying the price for it.

"Leave us. I want a word with her alone," said Deucalion. "You've all done well. I'll handle the rest."

Kali and the rest of the pack reluctantly obeyed and left the area as Deucalion knelt down in front of Braeden.

Braeden cringed as Deucalion's fingers brushed against her face.

"Beautiful," he crooned. "But you're rather defiant, aren't you? Not the most attractive trait in a woman."

Braeden glared at him. She knew what was going to happen and she wasn't afraid, but she felt nothing but disdain and disgust towards Deucalion.

"I'm defiant because I know you're afraid of her. You're afraid of Artemis Moon," hissed Braeden. She knew he was afraid, despite his efforts to conceal it.

Deucalion laughed. "You think I'm afraid of a teenage girl?" The idea of a powerful Alpha afraid of a teenage Beta she-wolf was preposterous.

"You're afraid of the woman she'll become," said Braeden. "And what'll happen between her and Kali."

Deucalion was silent for a moment. Kali's relation to Artemis Moon was a complication that he hadn't foreseen, but he'd never had any reason to question Kali's loyalty.

"Kali's one of my most loyal Alphas. Why would there be a problem between her and Artemis?" asked Deucalion.

"Because they're sisters. That kind of bond doesn't just go away," said Braeden. "Kali won't stand by you when she finds out what you have planned for Artemis. Are you aware of what she'll do to you if you go through with your plans?"

Kali didn't know Artemis was Deucalion's target. If she did, she might not have been so quick to obey Deucalion's orders.

Deucalion leaned in closer to Braeden. "I'm aware of a certain potential threat, yes. But then, someone once taught me a very smart way to eliminate a threat—get someone else to do it for you."

Artemis Moon was a threat and one way or another, she'd be dealt with, of that much he was completely certain.

_**A/N: A special thanks to reviewer mfmxxx, who suggested there be something between Kali and Artemis. Your suggestion got me thinking and gave me my idea for their relationship. **_


	2. Chaos Running

**Chaos Running**

Artemis sighed to herself as she and Stiles walked to their destination.

Stiles had talked her into accompanying him to a birthday party for an old friend of his, Heather. Artemis was glad for the chance to distract herself from her messed up life, but she wasn't exactly in the mood for a party.

After Kali had ran from the hospital, Artemis had had to explain to Melissa about Kali's new life as an Alpha and try to calm her down and convince her to keep Kali's survival quiet. Then she'd had to get Isaac back to Derek's apartment and help Isaac heal up from his wounds. He still didn't remember what had happened to him, which wasn't good.

The girl who'd rescued Isaac, Braeden, was gone and had yet to be found. And to top it all off, they had yet to decipher her message. The paper she'd given Stiles had contained a picture of a strange symbol and the words, "_Where this mark resides will be those you seek to find._" Efforts to find out the symbol's meaning had been fruitless and they were running out of time and options.

"Hey, what's with the look?" asked Stiles.

"What look?" asked Artemis.

"You know what I mean. You sighed and you had that look on your face," said Stiles. "You always get a look on your face when you're doing something just to make me happy even though you don't want to do it. So, what's up?"

Artemis sighed again. "I just don't feel like going to a party right now. I've got a lot on my mind and I can't forget what happened at the last two parties I went to."

Lydia's birthday party had been a disaster that resulted in the punch being spiked with wolfsbane, Peter's resurrection and Victoria's murder. And the rave before that resulted in another victim being claimed by the kanima and Artemis nearly getting killed by Victoria. Both events were ones that Artemis didn't like to remember and they made her slightly wary of other parties.

"Oh, come on. Just because a disaster befell the last two parties we went to doesn't mean one will this time," said Stiles. "And besides, we're not staying that long. We're just here because I've known Heather since kindergarten. She's a friend."

"Yeah, I know. It's just…everything's so messed up. The Alpha pack, my sister…"

"And that's exactly why we're doing this," interrupted Stiles. He understood what she was feeling upset and stressed, but it was all the more reason for a night off. "We are going to forget about our troubles for an hour and have fun. No Kali, no Alpha pack, none of that. Just you and me and some _fun_. Okay?"

Artemis couldn't help but smile and nod. "Okay." _It's just for a little while. What's the worse that could happen from one night off?_

Stiles smiled back. "That's my girl. Give me five."

They high-fived and then went inside Heather's house where they were immediately met by a pretty blond girl, who hugged Stiles tightly.

"Stiles!" said Heather, happily.

"Hey, Heather," said Stiles, smiling. They broke apart and Stiles gave Heather her gift. "Happy birthday. You look amazing. How've you been?"

"Thanks. I've been good," said Heather. She took her gift out of the pretty bag it was in. It was a necklace from Artemis's website. "Stiles, it's beautiful! Thank you." She quickly fastened it on before smiling at Artemis. "So, Stiles, is this your friend you told me about?"

Stiles nodded. "Yeah. Artemis, this is Heather. Heather, this is my best friend Artemis."

"Nice to meet you," said Artemis, as they shook hands.

"Likewise. It's great to finally meet you. I'm a huge fan of your website. Your jewelry is just the best," said Heather. "Thanks for the necklace. I've been dying to get it for weeks."

Artemis smiled. "Thanks. Just for that, next time you're shopping there, it'll be buy one, get one free."

Artemis had a business of making and selling jewelry online during the school holidays. She liked hearing compliments about her work and when she did, she sometimes liked to make discount offers to her customers.

Heather beamed. "Thanks. Now, I'm going to steal Stiles for a minute. Help yourself to the refreshments and then I'll introduce you to my friends."

"Sounds good," said Artemis.

And with that, Heather dragged Stiles away and Artemis went to the refreshments table. For a little while, Artemis was having fun. The refreshments were great, she loved the music and she was even making some new friends when Stiles came back, looking uncomfortable.

"Stiles, what's wrong?" asked Artemis, concerned.

"Ask me later. Let's just get out of here," said Stiles. "Please."

Wisely, Artemis didn't press the matter. "Okay, we'll go. Let me get my jacket." She'd just grabbed her jacket when suddenly there was blood-curdling scream that was coming from the cellar.

"That's Heather!" yelled Stiles, looking panicked.

Quickly, Artemis and Stiles ran down to the cellar and the sight before them wasn't good. Broken bottles, wine and blood littered the floor along with Heather's birthday necklace and the cellar window was open. Worst of all, Heather was nowhere to be found.

"Oh, crap. Stiles, call your dad," said Artemis.

Stiles didn't need telling twice. He called the Sheriff and before long the police arrived. An investigation into Heather's disappearance and most likely kidnapping went underway, but everyone knew the chances of finding Heather alive and well were very slim.

Still, the question remained: who would've kidnapped poor, little innocent Heather?

XXX

The following morning, Isaac was anxiously pacing the floor of Derek's apartment.

Isaac was taking some time off school and Derek had arranged for Peter to come by and try and share in Isaac's lost memories, hoping it would lead them to Erica and Boyd. Isaac had agreed to go through with it, but he wasn't at all pleased to have Peter be the one to do it and he was nervous about it.

"Derek, I'm not so sure about this," said Isaac. "It sounds kind of dangerous." He stopped pacing for a moment. "You know what, I _definitely _don't like this and I _definitely _don't like him."

Derek looked up from the book he was reading. "Calm down. You'll be fine."

Isaac wasn't convinced. "Does it _have _to be Peter? Why can't it be you?"

"Much as I hate to admit it, yes," said Derek. He wasn't any happier about this than Isaac. "Peter knows how to do it and has experience. I don't. And it'd be more dangerous if I tried to do it myself."

Isaac groaned as he leaned against the wall. "I trust you and Artemis more anyone else. But I do _not _trust Peter and I _really _don't like him."

"We don't have to trust him. If he so much as tries anything suspicious, I'll deal with him. I've done it before," said Derek. Peter had yet to misbehave and he was always obeying orders given to him by Artemis and Derek, but nobody trusted or liked him, especially Artemis. "And another thing, _nobody _likes or trusts him."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Derek got up and opened it to find Peter on the other side, looking annoyed.

"Boys, F.Y.I., coming back from the dead may have left my abilities slightly impaired, but my enhanced hearing is working perfectly fine. So, I hope you're comfortable saying whatever it is you have to say to my face," said Peter, grumpily.

Derek gave him an irritated look. "Just shut up and help us." Peter's feelings weren't high on his priority list at the moment.

"Okay, okay, okay. Sheesh. So impatient," muttered Peter.

Isaac rolled his eyes as he took a seat and Peter stood behind him with his claws on his left hand extended.

"Just relax, Isaac. This will go over a lot better and quicker if you're calm," said Peter. "I'll get more out of you, too."

Isaac snorted. How was he supposed to be calm when Peter, Artemis's former Alpha and tormentor, was about to poke around his brain?

"How do you know how to do this again?" asked Isaac.

"It's an ancient ritual used mostly by Alphas, since it's a skill that requires quite a lot of practice," explained Peter. "One wrong move and you could paralyze someone or kill them. But that's not going to happen to you, I promise."

Isaac didn't look convinced, but he had no time to reply as Peter grabbed Isaac with one hand and plunged his claws into the back of his neck. Their eyes glowed bright werewolf blue and gold and small gasps of pain were emitted as they underwent the process.

Peter then pulled away and the two werewolves were left gasping for breath and feeling shaken by what had just occurred.

Derek was at Isaac's side in a flash, offering the young boy his support and comfort. Thankfully, Isaac was shaken, but he was fine.

After making sure Isaac was okay, Derek turned his attention to Peter, who was trying to catch his breath and kept clenching his hand into a fist.

"Peter, what'd you see?" asked Derek.

"I saw them," said Peter, as his brow wrinkled. "But it was confusing. There were images and vague shapes." He then looked worried. "Isaac found them. He found Erica and Boyd. I barely saw them but they were there."

"What else?" asked Derek.

Derek was glad that his Betas had been found, but there had to be more to it. Isaac had been wounded by the Alphas. They wouldn't leave the place unguarded and chances were that he might've overheard Deucalion's plans for his prisoners.

"Deucalion was there," said Peter. "He was talking to them. He was saying something about time running out."

A tear slid down Isaac's cheek. "Deucalion's going to kill them, isn't he?"

Peter shook his head. "I don't think so. He promised them by the full moon, they'd both be dead."

Derek's ears perked up at this. "The _next _full moon?"

Peter nodded and also looked worried. "Yes. And the full moon's tomorrow night."

This wasn't good.

XXX

Meanwhile, at the school during their free period, Artemis, Alison and Stiles were in the school library trying to find out what the image on the paper meant, but so far they were having no luck. They found nothing in any of the books or websites they'd searched.

"There's got to be something here," said Alison, as she closed yet another book. "What could this symbol mean?"

"I don't know, but we're running out of time," said Stiles. "The girl's note said that the symbol would be where we'd find Erica and Boyd and the full moon's approaching fast."

Derek had contacted Artemis and told her what had happened with Peter and Isaac. Their efforts to locate the symbol's origin and meaning had tripled

"Yeah, but that's another thing. Why take them and hold them prisoner for months just to kill them now? Why take them at all?" asked Alison.

"I don't know. But I think it's something to do with me," said Artemis, grimly. "Peter said they'd take an interest in me because of what I might become and Braeden was looking for me before she vanished. Maybe this is part of some plan to break me."

Alison and Stiles grimaced at this, not liking the thought.

"And what about Heather? Do you think they're the ones who took her?" asked Stiles.

"Maybe. I mean, if they wanted to turn her, it is easier to turn teenagers rather than adults. But I can't think of any reason why they _would _turn her. They're all powerful Alphas. Why would they be recruiting?" said Artemis.

It didn't make any sense for the Alphas to take and turn Heather. But then again, their kidnapping of Erica and Boyd didn't make sense either.

Stiles ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Too many questions, not enough answers. I'm going nuts. We need to find Erica and Boyd and Heather and _fast_." Stiles was worried because he'd known Heather since he was three and had no desire to lose her.

Artemis gave Stiles' shoulder a comforting squeeze. "We'll find her, Stiles."

Stiles sighed and didn't reply.

Alison sipped her coffee and then traced the logo on the container. "Hey, guys, I just thought of something. What if it's not a symbol, but a business logo?"

"That would explain why we haven't found it yet. We've been looking in the wrong direction. Alison, you're a genius," said Artemis. "We'll find it in no time now." Every business's logo was different. And even if that weren't so, there couldn't be many businesses with this strange logo.

Alison began typing up a storm on her laptop. "I'll do a search, but the sooner Isaac remembers, the better."

"Yeah, but how? Peter and Derek couldn't do it. How many werewolves do we know with better mind tricks?" asked Stiles.

Artemis thought for a moment and then it came to her. "We don't need one. We just need someone who knows a lot _about_ werewolves. My boss, Dr. Deaton. I bet you, if anyone knows anything about this sort of thing, it'll be him."

Quickly, Artemis called her boss and made some arrangements.

XXX

That night, Derek, Artemis, Isaac and Stiles met at the vet's to enact their plans to recover Isaac's memories. Dr. Deaton did have a way to do what they wanted, but it wasn't going to be all that pleasant for Isaac as it involved him submerging himself into a large water tank full of cold water and countless bags of ice.

Isaac watched from the doorway while the others fill the tank. Dr. Deaton took the chance to talk to him.

"Isaac, you alright?" he asked.

Isaac nodded. "Yeah, I'm just nervous." He wasn't going to back out of this as he was willing to do anything to help his pack, but part of him was afraid of what he was going to remember.

Dr. Deaton gave him a sympathetic look. "I won't lie to you. This isn't going to be all that comfortable for you. But your pack's here and so am I. We're not going to let anything bad happen to you."

"I know," said Isaac. "So, just to be clear, I slow my heart rate down and then I'll get my memories back?"

Dr. Deaton nodded. "You'll slip into a trance-like state. It'll be like hypnosis," he said, as they approached the now-full tank. "You'll be half-transformed. It'll let us access your subconscious mind."

Isaac still looked nervous. It didn't help that the tank wasn't that wide and he was claustrophobic thanks to his jerk of a dad.

"Isaac, listen, if this feels too risky, then you don't have to do this," said Artemis.

"She's right. If you want to back out, then tell us. No one will blame you," said Derek.

Isaac swallowed painfully and took a deep breath. "If this will help find Erica and Boyd, then I'm not backing out. They're my family. I can't quit on them. But, can I ask you guys for a favor?"

"Sure. Name it," said Artemis.

Whatever Isaac wanted, they'd do it for him. He just had to say the word.

"Hold my hands while I'm under there, give me an anchor," said Isaac, with a pleading, fearful look in his eyes.

Artemis and Derek were family and he was scared. Isaac needed them to make him feel safe and secure.

Derek and Artemis's faces softened as they nodded.

Relieved at their response, Isaac took another deep breath before taking off his shirt and submerging into the tank but not before he tightly grabbed Derek and Artemis's hands.

For a few moments, Isaac thrashed about in the water, but then all of a sudden, he stopped. He floated up to the surface of the water and breathed slowly. He looked like he was sleeping rather than what he actually was.

No one spoke for Dr. Deaton had made it very clear that only he was to speak to Isaac during the memory retrieval process. Any more voices than his would distract Isaac and ruin the whole thing.

"Isaac, can you hear me?" asked Dr. Deaton.

"Yes," said Isaac. His eyes were shut tight, but he was still talking.

"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few questions. First, do you feel your hands being held?"

"Yes," said Isaac, as his grip on them tightened.

"That's Artemis and Derek. They're right here with you, and they won't leave you. Just hold onto them tight whenever you feel afraid," said Dr. Deaton. "But you must remember, what you see are just memories of what's already happened. They can't hurt you. Understand?"

"Yes," said Isaac. "I understand."

"Good," said Dr. Deaton, sounding pleased. "Now, I want you to tell me about the night you found Erica and Boyd in as vivid detail as possible. What happened that night?"

Isaac shuddered beneath Artemis and Derek's hands. "I was in a crappy part of town, trying to find them. It was one of the few places we hadn't looked. I knew I shouldn't go there alone, but I thought I could take care of myself. The wind blew by and I picked up a scent. It smelled kind of like Artemis, and I got suspicious, so I went and looked."

Artemis winced at this. _He picked up Kali's scent and walked straight into a trap. Oh, gads. Kali, what did you do Isaac? _

"Good, good. Where did you go to look?" asked Dr. Deaton.

"It's a bank or something. There's a big vault. I didn't see a sign, so I can't tell what bank it is, but the inside was all fancy and stuff. By now I could smell my friends, hear their voices, but I couldn't find them. I looked, but I had to hide. Someone was coming and it's not Erica or Boyd," said Isaac. "It was the Alphas. They were talking about their prisoners not being in control on the full moon."

Stiles, Artemis and Derek exchanged worried glances at this. Erica and Boyd had learned how to control themselves on a full moon ages ago. The fact that they might lose control now wasn't good. If they were locked in a room together on a full moon and couldn't control themselves, the mere idea of what they'd do was bad.

"Okay, good. Where did you hide?" asked Dr. Deaton.

"First place I could find. It was closet…maybe a janitor's closet? But I didn't pay attention to that. Erica was in there too. She was scared and upset, but when she saw me, she was so happy," said Isaac. "She said she knew we'd find them. She and Boyd never gave up hope."

Derek and Artemis smiled at this, feeling touched by Erica and Boyd's faith in them.

"Why is Erica in the closet? Why can't she break free?" asked Dr. Deaton.

"She's trapped," said Isaac. "There's a circle of mountain ash around her. She's trapped in there because Deucalion wants her to hear her mate, Boyd, suffering and she can't do a thing to help him. But then Erica told me that there's another prisoner, another Beta wolf."

Dr. Deaton's eyes widened in surprise. "Who is this Beta wolf?"

"I don't know. Erica never learned her name. She just knows that the girl's important to Derek if he ever finds out she's here," said Isaac. "I left the closet. I promised get help. I was going to check in with Artemis and Derek, let them know what had happened. But then I got caught. The she-wolf who smelled like Artemis found me. She was so mad at me for what I'd done. She pinned me to the floor, and we fought. I yanked off her necklace in the fight. She retaliated by taking my memories. She would've killed me, but Braeden showed up and saved me."

Suddenly, Isaac woke up and sat up, gasping for breath before he got out of the water tank. Stiles quickly covered him with warm towels, which he wrapped around himself.

"I saw it," said Isaac, as he slowly calmed down. "I saw the name. It's Beacon Hills First National Bank. And I think I know why the girl's important to Derek, why they took her."

"Slow down and calm yourself first," said Dr. Deaton. He handed Isaac a mug of tea that was said to have calming properties. "Drink this and then tell us."

Isaac did as he was told. He drank the tea and then calmed down. "It was her scent. She smells like Derek in the same way that Artemis and Kali do."

Shocked looks crossed everyone's faces and Derek found himself unable to speak. Another of Derek's family was alive? That was impossible. Only Peter had survived the Hale Fire all those years ago.

"Isaac, are you're absolutely _sure _that she smelled like Derek?" said Artemis. If Isaac was wrong about this, it was going to break Derek's heart.

Isaac nodded. "Definitely. I wouldn't have said so otherwise."

Derek looked shaken and for a few minutes, he was silent as he paced the room. He stopped when Artemis placed her hands on his shoulders and then she held him close. It was hurting her to see him like this. But she couldn't blame him. He'd just learned someone else in his family had possibly survived the Hale Fire and was Deucalion's prisoner.

_Derek, love, talk to me, _said Artemis. _You're scaring me. _

_I'm sorry. It's just…you heard what Isaac said, Huntress. Someone in my family's locked up in that vault. Someone who survived the Hale Fire, _said Derek. _How'd she even survive the fire and why wouldn't she tell me? How'd the Alphas find her? _

_I don't know, but we'll figure this out. We'll get them out and we'll bring her home. We'll do it together_, said Artemis. She cupped his face in her hands and stroked his cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. She knew how he felt. If anyone understood having a messed up family, it was Artemis. _You're not alone in this. I love you and I'm going to help you with this, I promise. _

A small smile crossed Derek's face before he kissed her. _I love you too, Huntress. Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you_.

They broke apart and then faced the others, who were silently waiting for the couple to finish their psychic conversation.

"Well, now this symbol makes sense. It's the logo for the bank," said Stiles, as he looked it over on his phone.

"Now the question, how're you going to break your friends out?" asked Dr. Deaton. "You need some form of strategy."

"Yeah, but what? We can't just break into a bank, even if it is abandoned!" said Isaac.

"Maybe we don't have to," said Stiles. He pulled up some news reports on his phone. "Check this out. That bank closed down because some idiots actually managed to break in and my dad was the investigating officer. Five bucks says he'll have the blueprints of the bank locked up somewhere."

"Find them and fast. We need to get them out of there before it's too late," said Derek. He was mad and on a mission. The Alphas were going to pay dearly for daring to mess with his family.

XXX

The following day at school, Artemis met up with Alison to let her in on the plan.

Alison's research had confirmed that the symbol on the logo was the symbol for the bank where the others were being held prisoner.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Alison.

"Stiles got the blueprints of the bank, so we're meeting at Derek's to go over them and decided how to enter the bank and escape," said Artemis. "Isaac needs more time to recover, so Peter's watching him. Jackson, Derek and I are going to get Erica and the other two out. But we're not heading out until after dark. If we're lucky, we shouldn't have too much trouble doing it."

"Okay. Can I come and help?" asked Alison.

Retired she might've been, but Alison wasn't about to pass up a chance to help her friends when they needed her.

Artemis shook her head. "Not a chance."

Alison looked outraged. "Why not?"

"Because we're rescuing three werewolves who've undergone heaven alones knows what, they're going be fragile and quite possibly, two of them are going be completely bug nuts. And there's a darn good chance the entire Alpha pack's going to be there, including my evil sister. With Isaac being out of commission for the time being and Peter having to watch him, Jackson, Derek and I are going to have our hands full as it is. I'm not going to risk your life by having you be there," said Artemis, firmly. "The answer's _no_, Alison."

Alison folded her arms across her chest. "Really? Then how're you going to get Erica free if I'm not there? Last time I checked, non-humans couldn't break mountain ash barriers."

Artemis was about to reply before she realized Alison was right. Mountain ash couldn't be used by werewolves. Without someone like Alison, they couldn't break Erica free. With an exasperated sigh, Artemis said, "Okay, fine. You can come. But only on one condition: when you get into the closet and set Erica free, you do _not_, under _any _circumstances, come out until we say it's safe. Agreed?"

"Agreed," said Alison.

"Okay. Meet us at Derek's at five o'clock," said Artemis. _Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret this?_

Alison looked pleased.

XXX

That night, everyone met up at Derek to go over the plan.

Stiles rolled out the blueprints onto Derek's table and used a red marker to mark the areas where they'd enter and exit.

"Okay, you see this? This is how the bank robbers got in," said Stiles. "It's a rooftop AC vent which goes down inside to the wall of the vault which is here." He marked the area with a big red 'x.' "Now, one of the robbers was lowered into this shaft. Because the space is so small, it took him about twelve hours to drill into the wall—and that wall is stone, by the way. Then, throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash to the guys back on the roof through that one little shaft in the wall. Boom."

Jackson frowned. "Are you sure we can fit in there? That space looks puny."

"It's small, but we should be able to fit. But honestly, Derek should probably go in first because they patched up that wall and he's the strongest one. He should be able to punch through it," said Stiles.

"And once Derek's through, Jackson and I will follow," said Artemis. "Once we're in, Alison, you'll follow. Got it?"

Alison nodded. "Got it."

Peter rolled his eyes and sighed from his seat. "This all sounds like a well-thought out plan, but have you considered the odds of this plan actually working?"

Artemis bit back a growl as she glared at Peter. "I wouldn't expect _you _to understand, but we don't give up on family. We can't just sit back and let them die when we've got a chance to save them!"

"That's all well and good, but need I remind you what we're up against here? A pack of Alphas, all of them killers. There's Deucalion, the Demon Wolf. Ennis, an Alpha who's possibly the strongest of our kind. Ethan and Aiden, who join together to form one giant Alpha. And then there's Kali, your wacko, traitor of sister," said Peter. "If that's not enough to scare you back into your hole, I don't know what is."

Artemis flinched at the mention of Kali, but said nothing as everyone growled or glared at Peter, resisting the urge to punch him as they did so.

"Could someone kill him again, please?" muttered Stiles.

Jackson extended his claws. "Gladly."

"Don't even think about it," said Derek, as his eyes glowed red. Despite how much he disliked and distrusted Peter, until his uncle did something other than be a sarcastic smart alec, there was no justification for killing him at the moment. "Sit down and be quiet."

Jackson looked unhappy as he grudgingly sat down and retracted his claws.

"My powers may be weakened, but I could still beat you, lizard boy," said Peter.

"That goes for you too!" said Derek, sternly. "Shut up."

Peter scowled, but didn't argue or disobey.

XXX

Later that night, Alison had decided to go to the bank early and break Erica free. She'd snuck off without telling Artemis. She found her own way in—the front door. The front door was chained and padlocked shut, but Alison's bolt cutters broke the chains and allowed her access.

Once Alison was inside the bank, she closed the door and quietly snuck around. It was dark and seemed to be devoid of any life, human or werewolf. But nevertheless, Alison kept her guard up and a tight grip on her bow and arrow.

_Isaac said Erica was in a closet. Where's the closet? _Alison searched and searched until she found what she was looking for. She didn't find it a moment too soon, for the minute she found the closet, she heard voices and footsteps.

Quickly, Alison dove into the closet and locked the door. She spilled ammonia onto the floor and blocked the bottom of the door with her jacket, knowing it would conceal her scent and block off light from the closet to the Alpha pack.

"Alison, is that you?" whispered a voice.

Alison nearly jumped out of her skin, but then she relaxed when she turned on her cell phone's flashlight and saw Erica.

Erica's hair was lank and unkempt, her skin was paler and she was thinner than she used to be and her eyes were red from crying, but other than that, she seemed to be okay. Erica's face was full of relief at the sight of Alison.

"Erica!" gasped Alison. "Oh, thank heavens. Hang on. I'm going to get you out." She knelt down and broke the mountain ash circle, freeing Erica.

The two girls hugged each other tight and cried in relief.

"I knew someone would come. I knew it," said Erica. "Is Isaac okay? I heard fighting after he left. I thought something bad happened to him."

Alison nodded as they broke apart. "Isaac's okay. He's at Derek's place getting some rest. He's worn out from the past few days, but he's fine."

Erica heaved a sigh of relief. "Artemis and Derek…they're coming too?"

"They're on their way," said Alison. "Everything's going to be okay, I promise. Right now, let's try and get you better."

Thinking that Erica, Boyd and the other prisoner might need food and water, Alison had packed a bag with supplies. She got out the sandwiches and bottled water from her bag and Erica tore into them like a hungry animal. Eventually, she finished eating and the two girls held each other in the darkness, waiting for the chance to escape.

XXX

Meanwhile, Derek, Artemis and Jackson were breaking into the vault.

True to his word, Derek managed to break a hole into the vault large enough for them to go through. The three of them tumbled through, ready for whatever came their way.

"Boyd?" said Derek.

Boyd was standing a few feet away, his posture all stiff and his head hanging down. But when his pack entered the vault, he wolfed out and growled at them.

"Boyd, take it easy. It's us," said Derek. "It's your pack, your family. We're here to get you out."

Artemis's cell phone then went off and she answered it. "Stiles, now's not a good time."

"_Artemis, you've got to listen us!_" said Stiles, sounding panicked. "_I've got you on speaker. You've all got to get out of there, now! The walls of the vault are made with a mineral called hecatolite. It scatters the moonlight._"

Artemis frowned. "Scatters the moonlight? What're you—oh, crap." Suddenly, Artemis remembered what her boss had told her about some materials that were harmful to her kind. Hecatolite was known for blocking out moonlight, including the light of the full moon. And Boyd and the other prisoner had been trapped in a room full of the stuff for months.

"_I know you don't trust me, Artemis, but believe me when I say you're in more danger than ever before_," said Peter. "_Think of this is as like the gladiators in the coliseum. They used to starve the lions for three days so that they'd be more vicious, more out of control. Deucalion has kept them from shifting for three full moons, diminishing their tolerance for it._"

Artemis's blood ran cold at this. "Meaning they're going to be insane, savage animals and we just waltzed right into a trap." She should've expected this. The Alphas had left their mark on Derek's door months ago. They wouldn't have waited all this time unless they had some kind of plan ready for them.

Artemis hung up. "Guys, we've got a problem. The vault's made of Hecatolite."

Jackson looked confused while Derek looked horrified as he knew what this meant.

Suddenly, the other prisoner, the girl whose scent had been much like Derek's, came into view. She was a few inches shorter than Artemis with dark brown hair, pale skin, and was dressed in ragged clothes. She looked just as savage as Boyd did, if not more.

"Cora?" said Derek, sounding choked. His eyes glistened with tears. "Cora, is that you?"

Jackson frowned. "Who's Cora?"

"She's my sister, my _younger _sister," said Derek, not taking his eyes off her.

Isaac was right. Peter wasn't the only survivor of the Hale Fire. But they had no time to dwell on that as the vault door swung open, causing them to spot the mountain ash barrier that was keeping them inside the vault and allowing in the light of the full moon. The light caused Boyd and Cora to wolf out and attack.

Artemis, Derek and Jackson were forced to fight back and defend themselves. But even though they outnumbered Boyd and Cora, the two Betas put up one devil of a fight due to be nothing more than mindless savages. It wasn't long before all three of them were badly injured from the fight.

Artemis found herself being choked by Boyd, and couldn't get herself free.

"Boyd, stop!" yelled Erica. "Let her go!"

Erica and Alison had left the closet when they'd heard the fighting breaking out and now they were here to help.

Upon hearing his mate's voice, Boyd released Artemis, but then turned his attention to Jackson and fought him instead.

Erica couldn't cross the barrier to help, which left only one option. Alison knelt down and broke it, despite Derek's command not to.

Within moments, Cora and Boyd were gone, having fled from the vault and into the night, intending to wreck more havoc upon Beacon Hills.

While Jackson caught his breath and healed from his wounds and Artemis shared a reunion with Erica, Derek's eyes glowed red with fury as he grabbed Alison by the shoulders.

"WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING?" yelled Derek.

"THAT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!" yelled Alison, as she broke free of his grasp.

Artemis immediately intervened and came in between them. "Derek, stop it!" she said, as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "I know you're angry, but _calm down! _We'll figure this out. Just calm down."

"Alison just saved our lives. She was helping us. Why're you yelling at her?" demanded Jackson.

Derek relaxed a little under Artemis's touch, but he still glared at Jackson. "You think she's _helped? _Cora and Boyd are out of control and out of their minds! What do you think they're going to do out there? Do you have _any _idea what's been set free?" He growled at Alison. "You don't think! No one in your family ever thinks of the consequences when dealing with my kind!"

Alison glared back at him with an intense fierceness. "Don't do this. Don't you _dare _blame me for what Kate and Gerard did! What they did wasn't my fault!"

Derek's temper then got the better of him and he accidentally let slip one of Artemis's secrets.

"And what about your mother? You're going to tell me what she tried to do to Huntress wasn't your fault?" fumed Derek. He'd never forgiven Victoria for trying to kill Artemis and part of him had always been angry at Alison for it, because it had been Alison's friendship with Artemis that had almost gotten Artemis killed.

Artemis winced and shot Derek a glare. _Thanks a lot. _She hadn't wanted to tell Alison about that night for a reason and now she would have to. _Why did you have say that?_

_I'm sorry, Huntress, it slipped out_, said Derek, sounding genuinely apologetic. _But you can't keep hiding this from her._

Artemis knew Derek was right even though she didn't want to admit it.

Alison looked confused and somewhat concerned. "Artemis, what does he mean? What is he talking about?"

Artemis sighed. "Guys, give us a minute," she said. "Alison and I need to talk."

And with that, Erica, Jackson and Derek left the bank, leaving Artemis and Alison alone to talk.

"Alison, do you remember the night of rave?" asked Artemis.

Alison nodded.

"Did you know that your mom was there?" asked Artemis.

Alison looked startled. "My mom was there? Why…why would she have been there?"

Artemis swallowed painfully. "Alison…it wasn't just because of your rejection that Matt targeted your mother. It was also partly my fault," she confessed. "The night of the rave, he…he saw Victoria try to kill me."

Alison was shocked. "My mom tried to kill you?"

Artemis nodded. "Victoria found out we were still friends and decided to get rid of me. She attacked me and locked me in a room with wolfsbane gas. She tried to make it look like I'd had an asthma attack and couldn't reach my inhaler. I would've died if Derek hadn't gotten to me in time. Derek spared her because I asked him to. But I didn't know Matt had seen it and I didn't know he would go after her or I would've found someway to stop him."

Alison couldn't believe this. She knew what kind of person her mother had been, but to kill Artemis in cold blood…now Derek's anger made sense. Alison didn't blame Artemis for her mother's death, but she couldn't help but feel hurt that Artemis had kept such a secret from her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Alison, softly.

Artemis sighed. "Alison, you've got to understand. I didn't want to keep secrets from you, but you were already in so much pain over your mom's death, I couldn't add to it. No matter what Victoria had done, I didn't want what she did to me to be your last memory of her. I couldn't do that to you. What would you have done if our roles had been reversed?"

Alison was quiet as she realized that if she'd been in Artemis's place, she would've done the same thing. But that didn't mean she was happy knowing that Artemis had kept this from her.

Artemis took her friend's hands in hers. "I'm sorry for not telling you. I know that is a really big shock and you've got a lot more to ask me and a lot on your mind, but we have a situation on our hands. There're lives in danger. We have to stop Cora and Boyd before it's too late. Are you going to help us or not?"

Alison sighed and then nodded. "I'm in. Let's go."

It was going to be a _very _long night.


	3. Fireflies

**Fireflies**

It was proving to be a long night for the pack and dawn was still hours away.

Cora and Boyd had been trapped for months in an abandoned bank vault made of Hecatolite, a material that prevented werewolves from feeling the full moon. Their tolerance for it had been diminished and until morning came, they were going to be nothing but mindless, savage animals.

Isaac's strength had returned and he'd made Peter come with him to help track down and capture Cora and Boyd. Erica and Alison were also doing what they could to help. But even with their reinforcements, the pack was having trouble tracking down and containing Boyd and Cora.

At the moment, they'd split up into two groups, trying to cover more ground. Peter, Isaac, Jackson and Derek had gone off in one direction while Alison, Erica and Artemis had gone off in the other.

The girls found Boyd not a moment too soon, for he was chasing after two little kids who were in the wrong place in the wrong time.

"Hey, Bigfoot! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" yelled Artemis.

Boyd ceased chasing the kids and turned his attention to Artemis and Erica, who wolfed out fought him while Alison took the chance to get the kids to safety. Despite their efforts, Boyd was able to defeat them and tossed them into trees like ragdolls.

Before he could do anything more, Alison rejoined the fight and fired off a flash grenade arrow, which blinded Boyd long enough for them to make a tactile retreat.

The three girls ran and didn't stop until they'd caught up with the boys.

"What happened to you three?" asked Isaac.

"We found Boyd, but we had to lose him," said Erica.

"You _lost _him?" said Peter, incredulously.

"We didn't have much of a choice!" said Artemis, irritated. "We were barely able to stop him from going after two little kids _and _he tossed Erica and I around like ragdolls. He's too strong, too fast and _way _too angry for just two of us to take on. I'm betting Cora's the same. We can't split up again and we need help with this."

"Huntress is right," said Derek, sighing. "We've been going around in circles for hours trying to find and capture Cora and Boyd." Right before they'd met up with the girls, they'd barely stopped Cora from going after a camper before she ran off. "Much as I hate to admit it, and I _really _hate to admit it, we need help."

Peter looked confused and then caught on. "You're not serious! You want to ask Chris Argent for help?" he said, disgusted.

"Much as I hate to agree with the nutcase, he's got a point," said Jackson, earning a glare from Peter. "Chris Argent's lost most of his family thanks to our kind and he's retired. Why the heck would he agree to help us? Why can't Alison do it?"

"Because my dad may be retired, but he's not one to turn away someone who needs help," said Alison. "And besides, I'm a decent huntress, but I'm just a rookie. My dad's got years of experience under his belt. He knows how to track werewolves without harming them better than anyone I know."

"Besides what choice do we have?" said Erica. "Boyd and Cora are too strong, too fast and too rabid, even with all seven of us working together. We need help on this if they're going to survive until morning."

Erica was worried sick about Boyd and at this point, she was willing to do anything to get him back. She could feel his emotions and hear his thoughts and they frightened her. Boyd wasn't acting like her protective, powerful and loving mate at the moment. He was acting like an animal. If Erica lost Boyd, she would die with him.

"That may be, but it still begs the question of what we're going to do with them when we find them," said Peter. "We find them and then what, hold them down until sunrise? It might be easier just to kill them."

Everyone glared at Peter at this.

"Killing them is not an option, Peter," growled Artemis. She wasn't about to take a life, especially not the lives of Boyd and Cora.

"Unless you've got something useful to say, shut up, Peter," ordered Derek. He was getting sick and tired of Peter's attitude and was finding it difficult not to beat his brains in. "Alison, where's your dad?"

"My dad's shopping for groceries at the 24-hour supermarket downtown," said Alison. "Should I call him?"

"No, we'll just meet him there. I think this might go over better if you and I talk to him face-to-face," said Artemis.

Chris may be retired from hunting, but Artemis was willing to bet he'd help them if it was her and Alison who asked for it. He had a soft spot for his daughter and her best friend and they could probably use that to their advantage. Plus, he _did _promise to help Artemis and the pack if she asked.

Just then, Artemis's cellphone went off.

"It's Stiles," said Artemis, as she answered it.

XXX

Despite the late hour, Lydia was out running an errand.

She'd run out of Advil and had gone out to get more. Instead of driving to a pharmacy, however, she found herself at a pool far from her intended destination. Worse still, she had no idea how she'd gotten there or why she was there at all.

Feeling scared, Lydia looked around and nearly had a heart attack by what seemed to be someone lying in the pool facedown. She relaxed, however, when she realized it was just a dummy. But her relief was gone in a flash when she dared to look up and saw someone lying dead in the lifeguard's chair.

Lydia let out a terrifying scream before taking several deep breaths and making phone calls. Knowing Jackson was busy helping the pack locate Cora and Boyd, Lydia called Stiles and the police, and then waited for them to arrive.

Stiles was there first, having nearly broken a few speeding regulations to do so. "Lydia! Lydia, are you okay?" he asked, as he got out of his jeep.

"I will be," said Lydia. She was freaked out and grateful Stiles was there. "But _that _is not okay. Not okay at _all_."

Stiles gave her a comforting hug and she returned it. Lydia didn't return Stiles' love, but the two of them had become better friends over the past few months. Stiles was still a dork, but he was a friend Lydia could depend on, which she was immensely grateful for.

"Did you call the police?" asked Stiles, when they broke apart.

Lydia nodded and fresh tears glistened in her eyes. "Yes, but I have no idea how I'm going to explain this."

Stiles frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Lydia sighed. "I was on my way to the store for Advil. I wasn't headed _here_. I have no idea why I came here, how I found the body. I didn't even know I _was _here until after I got out of the car. Stiles, what if Peter's—?"

"If Artemis or Derek had the slightest inkling Peter was up to something, they would've dealt with it by now," said Stiles, flatly.

Lydia's fear was understandable, considering what had happened the last time strange things happened around her. Last time, Peter had used her as a pawn in his plans to resurrect himself from the grave and tormented her for weeks in order to do so.

Lydia looked slightly relieved at this, but she was still worried. "Was it a werewolf that did this?"

"I don't know, maybe. But I better tell Artemis anyway," said Stiles. He quickly dialed Artemis's number and waited for her to pick up. "Hey, Arty, it's me. We've got a situation. Lydia found a body."

"_What?_" said Artemis, sounding shocked. "_Where?_"

"It's at the public pool. Possibly one of our fugitives did it, but I'm not sure," said Stiles.

"_The pool? How can that be? The pool's on the other side of the forest and we haven't tracked them anywhere near there,_" said Artemis.

"Then how do you explain this, Arty?" asked Stiles. "The fatal wound kind of looks like one caused by a werewolf. But if you don't think it was Cora or Boyd, then are you thinking the Alphas did this?"

"_I don't know. Do me a favor, okay? Check the wound more closely and make sure it's one caused by a werewolf_," said Artemis.

Stiles didn't want to, but he agreed anyway. "Okay, hold on a minute." He took out his pocket flashlight and looked at the dead man's throat wound. "Okay, my mistake. This doesn't look like a werewolf's M.O. There aren't any teeth or claw marks. Plus, the guy's got a purity ring just like Heather did."

The wound was too neat, too clean to have been caused by a werewolf. Plus, even if a werewolf wanted to cover their tracks, they wouldn't go to so much trouble like this. And since when did werewolves target those who were pure?

"_So, what…there's someone else we need to worry about or maybe it's a human crime?_" said Artemis, sounding puzzled. "_First Heather and now some random guy? What's going on?_"

"I don't know, but I don't like it, Arty. Something's not right," said Stiles. He looked up when he heard the sounds of sirens. "I've got to go. The cops are here. I'll call you if I find out anything."

"_Okay. Stay safe, Stiles,_" said Artemis.

"You too," said Stiles, as he hung up.

XXX

Outside in the parking lot of a 24-hour supermarket, Chris Argent unloaded his groceries into the trunk of his car.

As he began to shut the trunk, his hunter's instincts kicked in and he quickly whipped out his gun to face who or whatever was behind him.

"Whoa! Jeez, Dad, it's just us!" said Alison, startled.

Alison and Artemis were standing behind with their hands in the air, looking frightened.

Chris sighed in exasperation as he pocketed his gun. "You should know better than to sneak up on a seasoned hunter like that! What're you two doing out here this late and on the night of a full moon?"

Long as he lived, Chris knew he would never understand the mind of young teenagers. Hunting was so much simpler.

"We came to ask a favor," said Artemis. "After the business with Gerard and the kanima, you said you'd help me if I ever asked for it. Well, I need your help now. Will you?"

Chris folded his arms across his chest. "Depends on what you need my help for." He was willing to help Artemis and the pack if need be, especially if Alison was involved, but he was retired and this might be the time when he drew the line.

"Do you know about the Alpha pack?" asked Alison.

Chris frowned as he nodded. He knew much about the Alpha pack, having been told stories from Gerard and had even tried to hunt them at one time. "Yes. Why?"

"They're here in Beacon Hills," said Artemis. "They arrived four months ago and they kidnapped Erica and Boyd. And not just them. Somehow, Cora, one of Derek's siblings, is alive. She was with them. For the past few months, Boyd and Cora have been trapped in a bank vault that was made of Hecatolite."

Chris rubbed the space in between his eyes. He was well aware of what the mineral did to werewolves. "Let me guess, you found them and they escaped and now they're on the loose, like rabid dogs."

Alison nodded. "We're not having much luck tracking them down. We need to find them and contain them until the sun's up. If we don't, then it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. We can't do this without you, Dad."

"Chris, please. I know how much you're hurting right now because of what my world cost you, but we wouldn't have come to you if we had anyone else to go to," begged Artemis. "_Please_, help us."

Chris hesitated but then saw the desperate look in the girls' eyes and he knew the situation was bad. He needed to help them.

"All right. I'm in. Where did you see them last?" he asked.

Relieved that he was helping, Artemis told him. Chris then got into his car along with Alison and had the pack follow him into the woods.

When they arrived, Chris got out his bag of hunting gear which he kept with him at all times in case of an emergency and leapt into action.

"You've been tracking them by print?" he guessed.

"Trying to," corrected Erica. "We're not really using scent 'cause of the full moon."

With the full moon amplifying their powers and emotions, the six werewolves were having to block off a lot of their abilities in order to maintain focus and control.

Chris shook his head. "You've been wasting your time. There's only one creature on Earth that can visually track footprints and that's man. And if you're not trained like me, you have no idea that these footprints belong to Boyd and you. One of you trampled Cora's footprint as soon as you entered the area."

Jackson had the decency to look away, but there was an embarrassed look in his eyes.

"Listen, I know the six of you are focusing half your energy on resisting your own urges during the full moon, but that puts you at a severe disadvantage to Cora and Boyd, who have fully given in," said Chris. "They've put the pedal to the floor while you're barely hitting the speed limit."

None of the pack looked pleased at this.

"So, what do we do?" asked Derek.

"Focus on your sense of smell," said Chris. "Actual wolves are known to track their prey up to a hundred miles a day by scent. A trained hunter can use scent to track them. If the wind is with them, wolves can track a scent by a distance of two miles, which means we can draw them to us or into a trap."

Chris then began dishing out netting and infrared goggles.

"The full moon does give us one advantage. They'll have a higher heat signature, which can be spotted easier by infrared goggles."

Derek refused the pair offered to him. "Thanks, but I've got my own," he said, as his eyes flashed Alpha red.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Show-off."

Everyone ignored him.

"Remember, we're not hunting wild animals," said Chris. "Underneath those impulses are two intelligent human beings. Don't think that just because the moon's turned them savage, that they can't rely on their human side. It's suppressed, but it's there, reminding them how to mask their scent, cover their tracks, and survive."

"Then we'll just have to outsmart them," said Artemis. "And if we're going to do that, we'll have to trap them and we'll need a place _to _trap them."

"But where?" pressed Jackson. "What's strong enough to hold two werewolves that're on their full moon crazies?"

"What about the high school?" suggested Isaac. "No one would be there this late. If we got them there, we could lock them in."

"That could work. But _where _in the school would we trap them? If they broke out of a window or broke down a wooden door, they'd get into the residential areas and it would be chaos," said Erica.

Artemis snapped her fingers as an idea came to her. "The boiler room. The door is solid steel and there're no windows or access points to the outside down there. Plus, Isaac's right. It's a safe bet that the school's empty. No one would be at the school this late." At least, not that she knew of.

"The old trapping-werewolves-in-a-high-school-on-a-full-moon routine. A bit cliché, isn't it?" said Peter, smirking. He was clearly remembering the time he trapped Artemis and her friends in the school all that time ago.

"Peter, _shut up!_" hissed Derek.

Derek was finding it hard not to kill Peter again and make sure that he stayed dead.

"What's the best way to lure Cora and Boyd to the school?" asked Alison. "The smell of fresh meat or blood?"

Chris shook his head. "I've got something better than that." He got out a series of devices that looked like outdoor yard lights. "These are ultrasonic emitters. They're one of the tools we use to corral werewolves, pushing them in a direction we want them to run." He plunged one into the ground and switched it on. "They give off a high pitch frequency only werewolves can hear."

"Yeah, we noticed. Thanks for the warning!" said Artemis, sarcastically.

All six werewolves had heard the painful, ear-splitting noise that made their ears ring and were trying to block it out by covering their ears. They were also all scowling at Chris for not warning them properly.

So, without further ado, everyone took off to plant the emitters to lure Cora and Boyd into the high school. Once they got to the school, Chris and Alison would use their gear to make sure they entered the building and once they were inside, it was up to the pack to get them into the boiler room and keep them there until morning.

XXX

They ended up separating while planting devices and it wasn't long before Derek finished up his part of the job and Peter took the opportunity to talk to him.

"The hunted becomes the hunter. Wow. Never thought I'd live to see the day," said Peter, sarcastically. "Do you really think the Argents' high-tech dog whistles are going to work according to plan?"

"Not really, but what other options do we have?" said Derek. "If Chris can help us save Cora and Boyd, then I'll do it. We're running out of time."

Peter sighed. "You know the only reason I'm going through with this is because I have to obey you now that you're my Alpha. But if I were in charge, I'd be seeing this mess for what it really is, rather than what you believe it to be."

Derek frowned. "And that is?"

"You may recall that when I was the Alpha and trying to get Artemis to join me, I tried to get her to get rid of the baggage she carried—her old pack. I tried to get her to get rid of them herself so I wouldn't have to. Deucalion's doing the same thing. That's the whole point of this little exercise. And the fact that it's happening out here rather than in the vault doesn't matter to him," explained Peter. "He wants Artemis to take a life—more specifically, Cora and Boyd's and eventually the others."

"Artemis would _never_ do that," said Derek, sternly. "She had a chance to kill you if it meant curing her of her lycanthropy, but she didn't take it because that's the kind of person she is. She'll never be like Deucalion and the rest of them."

Peter shook his head. "You'd be surprised what people can do when pushed over the edge, Derek. Besides, Deucalion already has the elder Moon sister under his control. What makes you think he won't find a way to complete the set? And I think we both know that if she doesn't join his pack, there's no telling what lengths he'll go to in order to keep her from becoming the True Alpha she's meant to become."

"I'm aware," said Derek, through clenched teeth. Deucalion was a monster. He was insane, vain and in love with his power. But even with his status as the Demon Wolf and one of the most powerful Alphas, Artemis's True Alpha potential put him at risk. She had the potential to be more even powerful than Deucalion and he was afraid of what would happen if he couldn't control her. That fear was putting Artemis's life in danger. "But Deucalion's a fool if he thinks we're letting Huntress go without a fight."

Derek and his pack would go to any length to protect their own, especially Artemis. Deucalion didn't realize that.

Peter sighed and shook his head. "And that's why Deucalion has the advantage. He's willing to make sacrifices while you're not."

"If that's keeping me from becoming like him, then so be it," said Derek, firmly. "Now, shut up and come on."

There'd be time for chit-chat later. Right now, they had work to do.

XXX

The high school at night was just as bad as Artemis remembered from the last time she was there—dark, creepy and promising nothing good. It brought back memories of when Peter had trapped her there and tried to force her into ridding herself of her old pack so she would join his own.

But she forced those memories back as she got into position and wolfed out. The rest of the pack was also in there, wolfed out and prepared to strike and get Cora and Boyd into the boiler room as planned.

They didn't have to wait long. Boyd and Cora's howls were heard and then they made their way into the building after Chris and Alison used flash grenades to chase them inside and then they were locked in.

As Boyd and Cora ran through the school trying to find an exit (all the doors and windows were locked, thanks to the pack) Artemis and Derek found them and got their attention. Derek slammed Cora into the wall and Artemis tripped Boyd, causing him to fall flat on his face. This made the two Betas mad, which was what they were trying to do.

"Come and get us," said Derek, smirking at their furious looks.

Cora and Boyd let out angry roars as they chased Derek and Artemis down a few flights of stairs and into the boiler room. Once inside, Cora and Boyd were sprayed with fire extinguishers, which distracted them long enough for Derek and Artemis to get out and lock the door behind them.

For a few minutes, there was the sound of pounding on the door, but then it stopped as Cora and Boyd went elsewhere in the boiler room.

"Did that actually just work?" asked Artemis, in disbelief.

Derek looked relieved as he nodded. "It worked."

Artemis let out a sigh of relief and joy before wrapping her arms around Derek's neck and kissing him soundly as he held her tight against him. Their insane plan actually worked, soon the sun would be up and their trapped Betas would be back to normal. Things were starting to look up.

"I love you, Huntress," said Derek, smiling.

"I love you too," said Artemis, as she kissed him again. "Now, why don't you go tell the others the plan worked? I'll catch up in a minute."

"You sure?"

Artemis nodded. "Positive. Go. I'm just going to rest for a bit. I'll be right with you."

Since Boyd and Cora were locked up, Derek saw no harm in leaving, so he departed to tell the others the plan had worked.

Once he was gone, Artemis sat on the floor and leaned against the boiler room door as she caught her breath. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to relax. She was tired, sore and ready for a hot shower and a long nap. Heaven alone knew she and her friends had more than earned some rest after the long night they'd had.

Artemis's ears then perked up when she heard the sound of a heartbeat coming from the boiler room. It wouldn't have bothered her if it had been Cora or Boyd's heartbeat she was hearing, but it wasn't. There was a third heartbeat. Someone else was in there and they were locked in with two crazy werewolves.

_Oh, crap. Oh, holy freaking crap! _

Without thinking, Artemis yanked opened the door and ran inside. She knew she was taking a risk, but there was no other way. There was no time for backup to come. If she didn't act fast, lives were going to be lost.

Artemis found Boyd and Cora about to attack Jennifer, who apparently had come to school early and was collecting office supplies from the boiler's room supply closet. Jennifer was in the wrong place at the wrong time and she was going to pay for it.

Quickly, Artemis shoved Cora and Boyd away from Jennifer, causing them to slam into the pipes and boilers.

"Miss Blake, get out of here!" yelled Artemis.

Jennifer didn't listen to Artemis. Too scared to run, she shut and locked the closet door before she hid behind one of the shelves.

Despite her reluctance to fight Boyd and Cora, Artemis wolfed out and then the three of them fought. Artemis narrowly dodged Cora's swipe at her and then she blocked Boyd's attempts to claw or punch her before she let out a cry of pain from Cora scratching her back with her claws.

Boyd and Cora then double-teamed their attacks on Artemis as she led them towards the entrance, away from Jennifer. It wasn't long before Artemis's strength was nearly gone and she was a mess of injuries. With one last burst of adrenaline, Artemis grabbed Boyd and Cora by the throat and yelled, "_ENOUGH! STOP IT!_"

Artemis was unaware that for a brief moment, her golden eyes had turned red and was what had caused Cora and Boyd to cease fighting her.

Artemis then released them and the two Betas reverted to their human forms and they passed out just as Derek and the others came bursting in, frantically calling for the three of them.

"Cora?"

"Boyd?"

"Huntress!"

"We're down here!" called Artemis.

Within moments, help arrived. Boyd and Cora were looked over by the pack and the Argents. They were wounded, but they'd recover before too long. Their emotional wounds would probably take longer, but they would be helped by their loved ones during the recovery process.

Artemis tried to stand, only to collapse into Derek's arms. It was no wonder, for her wounds were worse than Cora and Boyd's. As she rested her head against Derek's chest, she could hear his heartbeat, which had been beating rapidly with fear but was slowing down now that she was in his arms.

"You scared me to death. What were you thinking?" whispered Derek.

"I'm sorry," murmured Artemis. "I didn't have a choice. My teacher, Miss Blake, is in here. She would've been killed if I hadn't done this."

Derek sighed and closed his eyes as he carried her bridal style. _Next time you want to do something noble and yet risky, tell me first so I can go with you to keep you safe. Promise? _He couldn't take losing her.

_I promise I'll try_, said Artemis. It was all she could do. Aremis closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. _Someone needs to deal with my teacher. She's locked in the supply closet. _

_I know_, said Derek. Aloud to the others he said, "Peter, deal with Miss Blake. She's in the closet. And by deal with, I mean _talk _to her and get out of here. Got it?"

Peter rolled his eyes as he nodded. "Perfectly," he muttered, as he walked off.

While he took care of that, the other pack members carried Cora and Boyd out of the boiler room and followed Derek and the Argents into the morning light. The long night was over. Now they could go home and rest before enjoying the sunshine.

XXX

But despite the night of the full moon being over, there was still trouble ahead of them.

Heather and another girl, Emily, had turned up dead. The two girls and the man killed at the pool all suffered the same threefold deaths and they were all virgins. The Alpha pack weren't their only new enemies. Someone was out there making human sacrifices. But who and for what, no one knew.

But they had to find out and stop them.

Somehow…


	4. Unleashed

**Unleashed**

The following night after the rescue of Cora, Erica and Boyd, Artemis was all healed up and back on her usual routine.

At that moment, she was finishing her shift at the vet's, helping Dr. Deaton tend to a sick little dog that belonged to one of Artemis's classmates, Kyle.

"That's not going to hurt him, is it?" asked Kyle. He looked uncomfortable at the sight of the shot his dog was about to receive.

"Just a little. But I find that it's the owners who feel the most pain," said Dr. Deaton, with a teasing glance. He administered the shot and then Artemis took the dog off the table. "All right. We're all done here. We'll check his stool sample for parasites, but he probably just ate something he shouldn't have."

"He'll be fine. Won't you, boy? You were so good today. Yes, you were," cooed Artemis, as she rubbed the dog's belly. She then saw the dog's nametag that read, 'Bullet.' "That's a cool name."

Kyle smiled. "Yeah. He's got two brothers at home named Beretta and Trigger. Military family, you know?"

"Yeah, I figured," said Artemis. "Okay, Bullet. Stay put while I get you a treat for your good behavior." Sometimes Artemis gave out treats to the best-behaved pets that came in for check-ups and treatments. She fished out a dog biscuit from a jar and fed it to Bullet, who didn't move or try to take it until she told him to.

"Wow. I can't believe he's obeying you like that. Looks like he knows who the alpha is," said Kyle.

Artemis emitted a weak chuckle before she nodded. _He didn't mean it literally. It was just a figure of speech._

Truth be told, Artemis had been worried about becoming a True Alpha ever since she found out she had the potential to be one. She feared being unable to lead as an Alpha should and she worried about being able to control it once it happened. After Boyd and Cora had told her that her eyes had turned red the night at the school, she knew it was inevitable. She didn't even _want _to be an Alpha, but apparently, that didn't matter.

"Well, we'll give you call if we find anything. Let us know if Bullet gets sick again or anything, okay?" said Artemis.

"Sure. Thanks again," said Kyle, as he left with his dog.

Needing a way to distract herself, Artemis volunteered to check the dog's sample for anything nasty. It wasn't long before she found something interesting.

"Dr. Deaton, I found something. What is this?" asked Artemis. She wrinkled her nose in distaste as she held it up with a pair of tweezers. Whatever it was, it was driving her senses crazy, just like wolfsbane did.

Dr. Deaton looked concerned as he examined it. "It's definitely poisonous, not just to the dog, but also to you. It's mistletoe."

Artemis frowned. "How could Bullet have gotten that into his system?" Artemis wasn't the best expert on herbs, but she knew that mistletoe wasn't native to Beacon Hills and there was no store in town that sold it.

"I don't know. But I'll see if I can find out," said Dr. Deaton. "I'll let you know if I find anything. Okay?"

Artemis nodded and then she began cleaning up. She'd just finished when she heard Kyle yelling and Bullet barking.

_Crap. What now? _Quickly, Artemis ran out of the building and was worried by what she saw. Kyle's car door was open, but he was nowhere to be seen and she could smell blood.

"Kyle? Bullet?" she called out.

Bullet peeked out from behind the cardboard box where he was hiding. At the sight of Artemis, he ran straight into her open arms. He was whimpering and shaking as she tried to calm him down.

Not knowing what else to do, Artemis went inside and called the police and Kyle's family to let them know what had happened. Something had scared Bullet half to death and his owner was missing. This was not good.

XXX

Early the following morning, Jennifer arrived at the school to go over her lesson plan one more time.

The night before, just before dawn had arisen, Jennifer had been at the school earlier than usual and had gone down to the boiler room supply closet to get some materials she'd needed for her class. She regretted it as she'd nearly been attacked and probably almost killed by what had appeared to be actual monsters.

Jennifer's life had been spared thanks to Artemis, to whom she felt immense gratitude, but she was still scared out of her mind as she'd heard what sounded like animals fighting. When the fighting had ended, a very handsome man with blue eyes came and checked on her. She hadn't gotten his name, but he'd been very suave, cool and charismatic and had acted like a gentleman to her.

Jennifer had ended up asking him to take her home as she was in no condition to teach her students and he did so, but he also gave her his telephone number. She hadn't used it yet, but she was sorely tempted to as he had been very attractive.

"Get a grip, Jen, get a grip," she told herself, as she entered her class room.

Jennifer had just closed the door and was about to sit at her desk when she let out a shriek. The man from the before was in there and had startled her.

In a moment of panic, Jennifer grabbed the nearest weapon she could find—a teacher's pointer stick and held it defensively in front of her.

"You again. Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Jennifer. Granted he'd been kind to her, but she was full-blown panicking right now and had a number of theories as to what he was doing there, many of them were due to having read too many scary stories and watching too many murder mysteries on T.V. "Are you here to threaten me? Tell me that no one's going to believe me if I say anything? Kill me?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "My name's Peter Hale. And no, I'm not here to do any of that, Miss Blake. I could, but I won't. I actually came to see if you were okay." Peter wasn't one to leave loose ends, normally. But the English teacher had caught his eye and he was quite interested in her.

Jennifer looked into his eyes and decided she believed him as she put down her stick. "It depends on your definition of 'okay.' If by 'okay,' you mean that I'm completely freaked out; then yes. I'm fine. But according to my therapist, me being emotionally 'okay' has been debatable for a while and I'm now I'm babbling like an idiot."

Peter chuckled again. "You're going to be fine."

Jennifer sighed. "Clearly you've never taught high school. In twenty minutes, I've got to start two dozen students about _The Crucible, _and I honestly don't know what I'm going to say to them."

"Well, you could start by telling them that it's an allegory for McCarthyism," suggested Peter. He was familiar with the tale.

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "Is that your way of asking me not to say anything? Because I'm not going to, I swear." Who would believe her even if she did tell anyone?

"No. Just a suggestion," said Peter. "Now, I must god. But if you do need to talk to anyone, feel free to call me at anytime."

"I will," said Jennifer. She was already planning to call him during her break. "Wait. Could you tell me one thing before you go, Peter? Artemis Moon, the student who helped me…is she okay?"

Jennifer had been worried about Artemis ever since she'd saved Jennifer's life but hadn't been able to find out if she was okay or not.

Peter nodded. "Artemis is fine."

Jennifer heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"You're Welcome. I'll see you later, Miss Blake," said Peter.

"Jennifer. You can call me Jennifer," she said, as she blushed.

Peter smiled, which made her heart flutter. "Jennifer," he murmured.

Jennifer was _definitely _going to call him later.

XXX

Later that day in the locker room, Artemis told Stiles about Kyle's disappearance.

Needless to say, after the last three missing persons who'd turned up dead, Stiles was convinced their new enemy was at it again and Kyle was the latest victim. Stiles was on the verge of a breakdown because of this.

"I'm telling you, it's like he just vanished into thin air. I looked for hours last night, but I couldn't pick up a trail. He's just gone," said Artemis. "But whatever took him scared his dog have to death."

"That's not good," said Stiles. "Do you know if he was connected to the other three victims?"  
"No. But he was from a military family," said Artemis.

"So?"

"So, there've been at least three victims with threefold deaths. _Three_, Stiles. Do you think that it's possible Kyle's part of another three? Not virgins but something else entirely?" asked Artemis. She didn't want to believe Kyle was dead or that their new enemy was out picking new victims, but she had little reason to believe otherwise.

Stiles frowned as he shrugged. "I don't know, Arty. Maybe. We're grasping at straws here. We need answers. Think Deaton might know something?"

Artemis nodded. "Wouldn't surprise me if he did." Dr. Deaton, though a mysterious and secretive man, knew more about the supernatural than anyone Artemis had ever met. If anyone would know anything about what was happening, it would be him.

"I've got a free period today. I'll talk to him then," said Stiles.

Artemis nodded and then Coach Finstock came in. "Team, listen up! Before we go out on our run, I'll remind you all that cross-country is _not _optional for lacrosse players! I don't want any of you to turn into a bunch of fat, couch potatoes! You're going to stay fit and in good health to secure wins for our school! Understood?"

"Yes, coach!" said the team.

In Artemis's opinion, there was no point in having the lacrosse team participate in cross-country. Lacrosse was an exercise by itself and no one on the team showed the slightest signs of getting fat. They were all as fit as could be. But she didn't argue as she finished tying her shoelaces and headed out with the guys.

When they got onto the trail they were going to run, Artemis saw Isaac tense up in anger at the sight of Ethan and Aiden, who began to run ahead of him.

Artemis put her hand on Isaac's shoulder. "Isaac, what're you thinking?"

"Everything that's happened lately, it's because of _them!_" spat Isaac. He hated the twins for their involvement in his friends' kidnapping and imprisonment, and for all he knew, they'd killed Braeden. He was angry and he wanted revenge. "They're going to pay!"

Isaac yanked himself free of Artemis's grip and took off after them.

"Isaac, wait! Isaac!" yelled Artemis. _What is he thinking? He's going to get himself killed! _She chased after him and found him kneeling on the forest floor with his hands pinned behind his back by Aiden as Ethan prepared to strike him.

Quickly, Artemis punched Ethan damaging his jaw and causing his twin to release Isaac. "Leave him alone, you jerks!" she snarled.

"Well, well, well, if isn't Kali's legendary little sister," sneered Aiden. "Think you just because you took down one Alpha and a kanima that you can handle the two of us?"

"If I have to," growled Artemis. "Or you could just walk away and live to be jerks for another day."

"I think not," snarled Ethan, furiously.

Ethan and Aiden wolfed out and it looked like there was going to be a wolf fight, but a girl's scream diverted their attention. All four of them ran to where the girl's scream was heard and it was then that they saw it.

Kyle was tied to a tree and had died threefold death, just like the other victims.

The police were immediately called and the crime scene was blocked off. Artemis spoke to Kyle's girlfriend, who was devastated and a sobbing mess and learned that Kyle had left behind a one-year-old son. He hadn't been a virgin like the other victims, but he had been military, which meant that Artemis's earlier suspicion was spot on.

When she was done conversing with the girl, Artemis joined Jackson, Isaac and Stiles, who were waiting for her in another corner of the woods. The team was taking a five-minute break before resuming their run.

"Did you see the way Ethan and Aiden were looking at Kyle?" asked Isaac.

"Yeah, like they'd had no idea what had happened," said Jackson, sounding bored.

Isaac shook his head. "No. No, they knew. I'm sure of it."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt they did it, Isaac. Kyle and the others weren't killed by teeth and claws. Am I the only one seeing the lack of…werewolfitude in these murders?"

Isaac clenched his teeth in anger. "Oh, you think it's a coincidence that they show up and people start dying?"

"No," said Stiles. "But I still don't think it's them."

"He's got a point. The Alpha pack's been here for four months. If they were going to act like Peter did, why wait until now to do it?" said Jackson. "But I also think the idea of someone performing human sacrifices is a bit nuts."

Stiles looked indignant at this. "You're part of a werewolf pack. You heal, run and have sense way beyond that of a normal person's. You used to be a psycho, vengeful lizard for crying out loud! And you think _my _theory is insane?"

Jackson winced. He didn't like being reminded of when he was the kanima.

"All of you stop it!" said Artemis, sounding both exasperated and stern. "Look, I don't think it's a coincidence that these murders are happening around the same time the Alpha pack shows up, but I don't think they're the culprits. Do I think that they're connected somehow? Yes. But we have no proof and we have no idea or what's doing this or why. We need answers."

"The answers are staring at us in the face!" argued Isaac. "Those two or someone in the Alpha pack killed Kyle and the others and they killed Braeden for saving me. And I'm going to kill them."

Artemis grabbed Isaac by the shoulder and forced him to look into her eyes. "No, you're _not. _We're not killing them or anyone else and that's final. Understand?"

Isaac looked unhappy about this, but he nodded. "Yes, I understand."

Isaac wouldn't kill them, but that didn't mean he wouldn't land in a few punches if they tried anything.

XXX

Later that day, Isaac and Alison found themselves serving lunchtime detention. Alison, for falling asleep during her French class and Isaac for ticking off Mr. Harris by making his lab experiment blow up during class.

They were assigned to restock the janitor's closet and normally Isaac wouldn't have cared about it, except there was just one problem. The janitor's closet wasn't that big.

While they were working, Alison noticed Isaac's breathing was becoming shallow and he looked uncomfortable.

"Isaac, you okay?" asked Alison, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just not a huge fan of small spaces," he admitted. Thanks to his jerk of a father, Isaac was claustrophobic.

"Well, if it's really bothering you, I can do this myself," she offered.

Isaac shook his head. "No, I'm not making you do this alone. As long as the door stays open, I'll be okay. Just do me a favor and keep talking to me, please." He needed her to keep him distracted as he couldn't keep looking over his shoulder to check the door if he was going to finish the work.

"Sure," said Alison. She became a little nervous. "Are you busy Friday night?"

Startled, Isaac looked up from his work and stared at Alison. "Uh…no. I don't have any plans. Why?"

"Well, there's a new Chinese restaurant that's just opened and I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner?" asked Alison, blushing slightly. Part of the reason she hadn't done any dating during her trip to Europe was because she'd been developing a crush on Isaac for a while. But up until now, she had never had the courage to act on her feelings.

Isaac, who'd also been slowly falling for Alison, felt flattered by her asking and found himself unable to reply for a moment due to his shyness.

Thankfully after a moment he was able to get the words out. "Yes. Yes, I'd love to."

"Really?" said Alison, looking hopeful.

Isaac nodded. "Absolutely."

"Great! So…you'll pick me up, Friday at seven?" said Alison.

"Yeah, sure," said Isaac. Now he knew how his friends felt with their mates. Perhaps after some dating, Alison would be Isaac's mate.

Their moment of joy was disrupted when the door suddenly slammed shut and the room went dark.

Panicking, Isaac ran to the door and tried to open it, but to no avail. It wasn't locked, that much he could tell. Ethan and Aiden had shoved a soda machine against the door and deliberately trapped them inside.

"Isaac, calm down. We're going to be okay," said Alison, trying to calm him. She hit the button on the stop watch Artemis had given her and silently prayed the pack had heard it. "Just breathe. It's going to be okay."

But Isaac was too caught up in his panic attack to listen. His mind flashed back to those countless times when he'd been locked in a freezer and screaming for his father to release him and he recalled the feelings of helplessness and fear that had threatened to destroy him.

"I've got to get out. I've got to get out!" he cried, as he frantically pounded on the door. "SOMEONE, ANYONE, LET ME OUT, PLEASE!"

"Isaac. Isaac! Isaac, listen to me—!" said Alison. In an attempt to divert his attention, she grabbed his shoulder, only to pull back at the sight of him wolfed out. She knew then that he was reacting to his fear and anger and didn't know what he was doing, but if they didn't get out of there, he would hurt her.

Isaac growled and was about to attack Alison when suddenly the door was swung open. Boyd grabbed Isaac and tossed him into the hall. Artemis then grabbed him by the throat as he growled at her.

"Isaac, _stop!_" roared Artemis, as her eyes flashed gold.

Artemis's command did the trick. Isaac reverted back to his human form and then backed up against the wall in shame.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to…Alison, I'm so sorry. I didn't…"

"Shh," said Alison, soothingly. She knelt down beside him and held him in her arms. "It's okay. I'm okay. It's not your fault."

"It really isn't," said Boyd. "Ethan and Aiden's scents are all over this. They're the ones to blame, not you."

Isaac looked angry, but said nothing as he leaned further into Alison's arms.

"I guess now we know they want to do more than just get us angry. They want someone to get hurt," said Artemis, shaking her head.

"They can't get away with this, Artemis." said Boyd, flatly. Personally, he was looking forward to giving the Alphas what he thought they deserved. "We've got to do something."

"We will," said Artemis. She was just as angry about this, if not more. Normally Artemis wasn't one for revenge, but in this case, she was willing to make a small exception. "But we've got to be careful about this." Ethan and Aiden were dangerous and they had to watch themselves with whatever they did to get payback.

"I take you have a plan?" asked Alison.

"Indeed I do," said Artemis.

If this plan worked, Ethan and Aiden would the ones in trouble with the school and not Alison or the pack.

A few hours later, Artemis checked her phone as she walked into her last class of the day and she smiled at the photo of Isaac on Aiden's motorcycle. Alison had broken the locks on the bike, hotwired it and instructed Isaac on how to drive it.

Artemis then took a seat by Ethan and Aiden. "Hey, boys, can I ask you a few questions about motorcycles? These look kind of important, but I'm not sure what they do." She took a few bike pieces out of her backpack and placed them on her desk. She was unable to stop smirking at the looks on their faces.

Ethan looked like he was barely restraining himself while Aiden was on the verge of a breakdown. At the sound of a motorcycle's engine, Aiden ran out of class despite Ethan telling him to stay put.

It wasn't long before the engine's noises became louder and the entire class filled out of the classroom just in time to see Aiden get on his bike. Isaac had driven it into the hallway and did an impressive leap over it. Isaac landed near the crowd as Aiden got on his bike, making it look like he'd been the one to ride it in the school.

Jennifer came out of the classroom and looked furious. "You've _got _to be kidding me! You realize this is going to result in a suspension."

Artemis, Alison and the pack shared some smug looks at the looks on the faces of Ethan and Aiden, who were furious.

XXX

At Derek's apartment, Cora was working out.

After the night of the full moon, she and Boyd had healed of their wounds and they were working on getting back into a normal routine. But Cora was finding it more difficult than Boyd.

Cora was happy to have her brother and uncle back, she was happy to learn that Derek had found his true mate in Artemis, she even had no qualms about having Isaac as a housemate. But being captured for months, learning of Laura's death at the hands of Peter, and spending the last few years believing she was the only survivor of the Hale Fire had taken its toll on Cora. Where she'd been and how she'd survived were a mystery she refused to reveal, but it was clear she had been traveling and was alone as well as greatly unhappy for the most part.

Derek watched Cora work out with concern. She _was _healed, but she was still regaining her strength. Months of captivity didn't just fade away overnight, even for their kind. Plus, if he remembered Cora as well as he thought he did, Cora was pushing herself so hard because she needed a distraction.

"That's enough. You're worn out. You should take a break," said Derek, when she stopped using the chin bar. "Lie down and rest for a while."

Cora scowled at him and shook her head. "I'm fine and I'm done lying around."

"Then sit," said Derek.

Cora ignored him as she began doing push-ups. "I'll sit when you agree to get rid of Peter and help me go after the Alpha pack."

Peter lived on his own downtown and kept away from the pack except when he was needed, but that wasn't enough for Cora. She was angry with him for killing Laura and for what he did to Artemis and wanted him punished. Cora also sought revenge on the Alpha pack for kidnapping her and holding her prisoner for so long.

Derek sighed. "I already explained this you. I only got rid of Peter to get him out of Artemis's life. I hate him and distrust him as much as you do, believe me. And as much as I want to go after the Alpha pack for what they did to you and the others, we're going to do it. We don't take revenge and we're not killers."

There was also the fact that going up against the Alphas without some sort of plan or an ace in the hole was completely insane and would only get them all killed.

Cora stopped what she was doing, got up and glared at him. "I can't believe I came back for this! I got my butt tossed in a vault for months because of you and you're willing to just sit here and do nothing, even after what they did!"

Derek forced himself to swallow his anger. "Cora—"

"No!" interrupted Cora, angrily. "No. I spent _years _thinking I was alone. Do you have any idea what it was like when I heard that one of the Hales was a new Alpha and was building up his pack? Do you have any idea how it felt to find out that not only were you and Peter alive, but that Peter had killed Laura and _you _were the new Alpha?"

Derek sighed again. "Yes, I do. Finding out you were alive shocked me too. And do you really think I'd let Peter walk around if I wasn't sure I could handle him? If there's so much as a hint of trouble from him, he'll be dealt with. And I'm sorry I've disappointed you, Cora. But I'm not the same guy I used to be."

Cora's face softened as she sighed. Now she felt bad. "I'm sorry. It's just…everything is insane right now. Adjusting to all of this is harder than I thought it'd be. And the truth is…I'm scared. What if they take me again?"

Derek wrapped his arms around Cora as she buried her face in his chest. He rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"It's going to be okay," murmured Derek. "You're home now. The pack and I will protect you, I promise."

Cora couldn't help but smile at this as she broke apart from her brother.

Suddenly, there was the sound of pounding on the door. The door then opened to reveal Kali, Ennis and Deucalion. Kali and Ennis were wolfed out, ready for a fight and Deucalion was his usual arrogant self.

"Knock-knock, Derek," said Kali.

Derek held up an arm to keep Cora from attacking them. "What do you want?"

"Nothing much," said Deucalion, casually. "We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd pop in for a little chat. May we come in? This won't take more than an hour."

Derek narrowed his eyes. Deucalion wasn't lying, but that didn't mean he could be trusted. Derek wanted to refuse, but he wasn't in the position to do so. Cora wasn't up for a fight just yet, and granted Derek was a powerful Alpha, but even he couldn't take on three Alphas alone.

"Fine," he said, through clenched teeth. "We'll talk. But after one hour, you get out out of my apartment."

Deucalion nodded. "Agreed."

With Kali's guidance, Deucalion took a seat on one of the armchairs. Kali and Ennis stood on either side of him in case Derek or Cora did something stupid.

Derek and Cora sat on the couch across from Deucalion. Derek kept a tight grip on Cora's hand. They didn't wolf out, but they kept their guard up in case of an attack. Cora was glaring at the Alphas with an intense hatred.

"You see, Derek? We're not unreasonable. No reason why we can't all be civil," said Deucalion.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Cut to chase, Deucalion. What do you want? You want to kill me?"

Deucalion laughed. "Oh, please. Do you really think I'm that boring? Don't throw me in with psychopaths like your uncle Peter."

"Speaking of Peter, I want to know where he is," said Kali. "Where's that slime hiding?"

"Why do you want to know?" demanded Cora, suspiciously. She didn't know why anyone would want anything to do with Peter.

"Peter turned my little sister against her will and tried to force her to do his bidding. I want payback," said Kali. Her eyes flashed red and her claws on her hands briefly extended. "_No one _messes with my sister like that."

Derek just scoffed. He didn't believe Kali had a shred of humanity in her or cared about Artemis. If Kali had, she never would've let Artemis think she was dead for eight years. If she cared at all, she wouldn't be working with Deucalion in the first place.

"Forgive me if I have hard time believing that Huntress means anything to you after what you put her through," snarled Derek. Derek had felt Artemis's pain when she'd learned the truth about Kali's disappearance. Anyone who put their own family through that kind of pain didn't deserve to be called family. "And if you really care about her, why're you working with Deucalion?"

The way Derek saw it, Kali was either truly clueless regarding Artemis's secret and Deucalion's plans for her, or she just didn't care. Either way, it made her look like an idiotic, heartless woman.

Kali let out a furious growl as she glared at Derek. "Don't presume to know how I feel about my sister, Derek! And count yourself to lucky that you're her mate, because if you weren't, I'd—!"

"Kali!" said Deucalion, warningly. "_Enough_. Ennis, calm your mate."

Ennis touched Kali's shoulder, making her relax. But she still glared at Derek.

"You'll have to forgive Kali. She can be rather temperamental," said Deucalion. "As I was saying, I'm a man with far more vision than simple murder. In fact…" He took off his sunglasses, revealing his bright red eyes, which were covered with film and looked pupil-less. "I'm here to show you just how much vision a blind man can have."

"Do us all a favor, Duke, and get to the point," said Kali, sounding bored.

Deucalion smirked. "You see the one problem with being in an Alpha pack? Everyone wants to make the decisions. Me? I'm more about discovering new talents…like you."

Derek's eyes flashed red. "I'm not interested."

"But you haven't heard his pitch," said Ennis.

"I don't need to," growled Derek. He already knew what Deucalion was going to say. "He wants me to kill my own pack. The answer's no." Derek would sooner die before he'd ever lay so much as a claw on one of his own pack. He'd given his Betas the choice of joining him and when they'd agreed, they'd given him their loyalty and their love. They were more than just Derek's Betas, the were his family.

"No," said Deucalion, sounding offended. "I want you to kill oneof them. It's not as bad as it seems, trust me. Once it's done once, you'll _want _to rid yourself of the rest of your pack. I did it, Ennis did it, Kali did it, Ethan and Aiden did it. Tell him what it's like, Kali."

Kali grinned a sickening grin. "It felt liberating."

Derek fought to urge to be sick. How on earth was this woman related to his Huntress? They were nothing alike!

"Listen to her, Derek. Do you really want to stay beholden to a bunch of maladjusted teenagers and your psychotic uncle who're bound to become liabilities? And believe me, they _will _become liabilities. In fact, I have a feeling one of your pack's already getting himself into trouble," said Deucalion.

"If it's with your two lackeys, then I'm sure it's nothing they don't deserve," said Derek, coolly. He was already aware of the situation with the twins via his link with Artemis. If need be, he'd step in, but he trusted his pack to deal with the annoyance.

"And I'm sure whatever Ethan and Aiden do in retaliation is nothing short of justified," snapped Deucalion. He rose up from his seat and began walking around, using his cane to guide him. "You see, Derek, the reason I'm always invested in new talent is simple. We all know that a pack is strongest due to its individual parts. The stronger the parts, the greater the whole. Your pack for example, has accomplished commendable achievements. It's all very impressive, but you have yet to consider the real potential for power you could have."

Derek snorted. "I'm not interested in power. The only reason I became an Alpha was so I could protect my mate."

"Yes, I'm aware," said Deucalion, stiffly as he began folding up his cane. "But you're not seeing the bigger picture. And trust me, once you get a taste for real power, you won't want to let go. When I lost my sight, one of my Betas assumed I wasn't fit for my role anymore. He tried to take it from me, so I retaliated. Killing him taught me something about Alphas that I didn't know they could do. When I killed him, his power was added to mine. I became stronger, faster, more powerful than I'd ever been."

"Let me guess, you decided to add to your power by killing the rest of your pack," said Cora, disgusted.

Deucalion smirked. "Quite correct, Miss Hale. I took the individual parts and became a greater whole. The results were rather spectacular." He then approached Derek and touched his face. "I was right. You _do _look like your mother."

Derek pulled away from Deucalion's touch and let out a growl. "Don't ever touch me again," he snarled.

Deucalion ignored this. "You'll get to know me, Derek. Just like your mother did."

"I already know you," spat Derek, angrily. "I know what you are. You're a fanatic!"

Deucalion was powerful and great, but he was insane and Derek wanted nothing to do with him at all.

This made Deucalion angry. He put down his cane and spoke in a frightening way. "You _know_ me?" he repeated. "You've never seen anything _like_ me. I am the Alpha of Alphas! I am the apex of apex predators! I am Death, Destroyer of Worlds! I AM THE DEMON WOLF!"

Deucalion's voice grew louder with every word he spoke and by the time he was done, his sunglasses were cracked. Then suddenly, he was calm again as he slipped off his dark sunglasses, revealing his damaged red eyes.

"I hate it when that happens," said Deucalion.

"Indeed," said Derek, dryly. "Now, your hour's up and my answer's still no. Get out."

"Very well," said Deucalion. "But Derek, I'd advise you to think about what I've said. You may find yourself wanting true power."

Derek wasn't fooled for an instant. Deucalion wasn't just offering him power. He wanted Derek to get rid of Artemis because Deucalion was afraid of her. But Deucalion was severely underestimating Derek and his pack's will to protect their own, the strength they had to do so and their loyalty to each other.

"I doubt it. Now, get out," snarled Derek.

"As you wish," said Deucalion. "Ennis?"

Ennis was at Deucalion's side in an instant. Deucalion took Ennis's arm and then the three Alphas departed.

XXX

During his free period, Stiles dropped by Dr. Deaton's office.

As usual, Dr. Deaton had a smile on his face and a warm greeting saved for his friends.

"Stiles, good to see you. Artemis said you might drop by," said Dr. Deaton. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was hoping you might have some information. Have you heard about what's been happening lately?" asked Stiles.

Dr. Deaton's smile faded and he looked solemn. "Yes, I heard. Artemis said they might be human sacrifices."

"Then do you know that there might be a connection between the murders and the Celtic druids?" asked Stiles. He'd done quite a bit of research in the last few hours and the results were interesting, if not worrying. "Derek's tattoo, the symbol of the bank, and the mountain ash all trace back to the Celtic druids. And anyone who's ever looked up human sacrifices before knows that the druids were fond of giving people up to the gods."

Dr. Deaton looked deeply disturbed by this. "Follow me into my office, please." He led Stiles into his office and got out his jars of herbs and minerals. "Stiles, what is the druid's most used herb?"

"Uh…mistletoe. Why do you…ask?" Stiles' voice wandered off when Dr. Deaton produced a sprig of mistletoe from one of his jars. After a moment, he caught on. "Wait a second. _You're _a druid? Why didn't you ever tell us or Artemis?"

Dr. Deaton sighed and looked regretful. "I was retired from my old life after something happened that I wish I could forget. I've spent a long time pushing my past away, denying it, and lying about it. But as you can tell, I never truly moved on. My workspace is protected from people like Peter, I've held onto these materials, and after Artemis was turned, I found myself becoming more than just a boss and father-figure, I became her mentor in ways that no one else could. But despite it all, breaking my old habits concerning keeping my past a secret, hasn't been easy for me."

Stiles sighed. He understood Dr. Deaton's reasons for keeping his past a secret even if he didn't entirely like it.

"So, this new enemy, is he a druid?" asked Stiles.

Dr. Deaton shook his head. "No. It's someone copying a centuries-old practice of a people who should've known better," he said, fiercely. "Do you know what the word 'druid' means in Gaelic? 'Wise oak.' The Celtic druids were close to nature. They believed they kept it in balance, hence the mountain ash. They were philosophers and scholars. They weren't murderers."

"Unfortunately, this one is," said Stiles. His phone then went off and he answered it when he saw it was Artemis. "Hey, Arty, what's up?"

"_Stiles, you need to get back to school. Lydia's had another episode and we've found evidence that the music teacher's been taken_," said Artemis. "_There're sounds of an abduction and something really freaky on his phone and marks on his piano. You need to get over here now and bring my boss. Now!_"

"I'm on it," said Stiles, as he hung up. "You need to come with me. Someone else just got snatched."

Dr. Deaton didn't hesitate to agree. He accompanied Stiles back to the school and into the music room where everyone was waiting.

Dr. Deaton listened to the recorded noise on the missing teacher's phone with great concern. He sent a copy of the sound file to himself for later analysis while Stiles began rummaging through the teacher's desk with Lydia's help.

Despite her fear, Lydia had gotten over her panic quickly with a bit of comfort from Jackson and was trying to help.

"Dr. Deaton, what can you tell us about all this?" asked Artemis.

"Each grouping of three would have its own purpose, its own power. Virgins, warriors, healers, guardians, philosophers…"

"Wait a minute, warriors?" interrupted Artemis. "Kyle was part of the Junior R.O.T.C. and he was a military brat. Would he qualify for a warrior?"

Dr. Deaton nodded. "Absolutely."

"And guess who else qualified for that category." Stiles put out a photo from the desk. It was of the music teacher at his wedding and he was dressed in military blues.

"That's it. That's the pattern," said Dr. Deaton. "Who else do you know that has a military background?"

Artemis thought for a moment and then paled. "Oh, crap. Mr. Harris was in the army before he became a teacher and he's got a military quote on his desk."

"We've got to find him," said Isaac.

Quickly, they all ran to Harris's classroom, only to find him gone. No one doubted he was taken as Harris _never _left behind his briefcase behind. He took it with him wherever he went no matter what.

"Guys, any idea why Harris would've graded a paper, 'R,'?" asked Jackson. He held up a test paper that was marked with a large red R.

"This one's an 'H,'" said Erica, as she held up another one.

Dr. Deaton's brow wrinkled in concern as he took the papers and arranged them so that they formed a word. Harris had apparently known his abductor, for he'd left the word, '_Darach,_' for someone to find.

"Dr. Deaton, what does this mean? What's a Darach?" asked Alison.

Dr. Deaton looked truly worried now. "In Gaelic, 'druid' means 'wise oak.' If a druid went down the wrong path, the wise oak was said to have become 'a dark oak.' There's a Gaelic word for that as well."

"Darach," guessed Boyd.

Dr. Deaton nodded. "Yes."

Dread and fear settled on everyone at this. A psychotic Darach was on the loose making human sacrifices in order to acquire power and they had no idea who it was or how to stop the Darach. This was not good.


	5. Frayed

**Frayed**

The sky was dark and thunder rumbled, marking the beginnings of what was going to be a powerful storm and it was no different inside the Beacon Hills school bus that was driving down the seemingly endless road.

It had been a few days since the Darach's last attack and the meeting with Deucalion. Much had occurred since then.

At the moment, the lacrosse and cross-country teams were on their way to a mandatory cross-country meet and there was tension all around. It didn't help that they'd been stuck on the bus for hours and Coach Finstock made it clear that the bus wasn't going to turn around or stop unless it was a big emergency.

Boyd and Isaac were sitting across from Ethan and Danny and kept shooting him glares when Danny wasn't looking and Ethan was returning them. Jackson was finding it difficult to keep his inner wolf hidden due to his anger. And in the very back seat, Stiles and Derek were seated with Artemis.

Despite his and Artemis's relationship being known to the public, Derek had managed to "persuade" Coach Finstock into allowing him to accompany the team to the meet as a chaperone. But in truth, he was there to keep an eye on his pack and take care of his mate. He was concerned about all of them, especially Artemis.

Artemis was resting her head against the glass of the bus window with her eyes closed. She was trying to block out the pain that was emitting from her abdomen and conceal it from her friends.

Suddenly the bus hit a large bump in the road, causing Artemis to wince and gasp in pain as she clutched her abdomen.

Derek and Stiles immediately looked at her with concern.

"You okay, Arty?" asked Stiles.

"I'm fine," lied Artemis, as she breathed through the pain.

"You're not fine, Huntress!" said Derek, sternly. "I can smell the blood and I can feel your pain. Your wound's still not healed. You should be at Deaton's office, healing. Not on this stupid bus headed to a stupid cross-country meet. Especially after what happened last night!"

Derek didn't mean to be harsh, but he was worried about Artemis. Everyone else in the pack had already healed from their wounds, but Artemis hadn't. Judging from the smell, her wounds were getting worse.

"He's right, Artemis," said Stiles. "You should've healed by now."

"Guys, calm down. I know it's bad, but wounds caused by an Alpha take longer to heal. You know that," said Artemis. She wanted to believe that was the only reason she wasn't healed already, but deep down, she knew it wasn't.

"That's not it and you know it. If it was just because an Alpha had done it, then why're the others healed while you're not?" demanded Stiles.

He had a good point. Everyone else was healed up, save for Artemis and that wasn't good, because it meant there was something seriously wrong.

"Huntress, we need to get you out of here and to Deaton's," said Derek. "I'm going to talk to the coach and—"

"And what? Leave the rest of the pack here alone with Ethan?" interrupted Artemis. "I don't think so. It's too big of a risk. I don't want to think about what he might do if we're not here to help the others. There's safety in numbers, Derek. You know this."

Derek sighed, knowing he'd been beaten. "Then will you at least let me see it so I can try and do something to help?"

Artemis reluctantly agreed. She carefully lifted her jacket and shirt, allowing Derek to see the bloody claw marks on her abdomen and ribcage. They looked nasty and the sight of them increased Derek's worry. Artemis hadn't thought to bandage her wounds because she thought she'd be healed by now and there hadn't been time before she had to leave for the meet with the others.

"Dang," he muttered.

Artemis made no reply save for the whimper of pain that emitted when the bus hit another bump in the road.

"Derek, she's in agony. She can't keep going like this. Can you give her something for the pain?" asked Stiles.

"Give her something? No." Derek's emergency supplies had accidentally gotten placed in Artemis's luggage, which was locked up in the bus's compartment, which he couldn't access. "Take some of her pain away? Yes."

Werewolves could take away pain from illnesses and injuries if they knew what they were doing. Artemis's wounds were hurting badly and even just a little relief from the pain would help her greatly.

Derek carefully placed his hand on Artemis's wounds and within moments, black veins appeared on Derek's hand and disappeared up his arm as some of Artemis's pain left her.

Artemis let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

"No problem," said Derek. She still had a lot of healing to do, but for the moment, she would be okay. "Try and get some sleep."

Artemis was exhausted due to a lack of sleep over the past few days, so she didn't argue with Derek's request. But she did make one of her own.

"Derek, will you hold me?"

Derek didn't hesitate to agree. He wrapped his arms around Artemis and held her close as she rested her head on his shoulder and fell into a deep slumber.

XXX

Meanwhile Alison and Lydia were secretly or rather, not so secretly following the school bus that was transporting their friends. Their friends knew that Alison and Lydia were following them, but Coach Finstock didn't.

After what had happened the previous night, neither Lydia nor Alison were letting the werewolves out of their sight.

"Am I getting too close? I'm getting too close, aren't I?" said Alison. She was trying to keep up with the bus and yet also maintain her distance.

"That depends," said Lydia. "Are you trying to follow the bus or are you planning to mount it at some point?"

Alison immediately slowed down and let the bus get further ahead.

"You know, you shouldn't drive when you're this nervous," said Lydia.

Throughout the entire drive, Alison had had a death grip on the steering wheel and she kept double-checking her mirrors and babbling when she spoke.

"I can't help it. I'm worried about them," said Alison.

"I know. So am I. But we're not any good to them if we're nervous wrecks," said Lydia. "And who knows? Maybe they're fine and we're worrying for nothing."

Alison shook her head. "After what happened last night, I seriously doubt it. You didn't see the look on Artemis's face. She was really hurting." And by hurting, Alison didn't mean just physically.

The expression on Lydia's face became somewhat sad. She was well aware of what had gone down the previous night, having been informed by Jackson. "Yeah, I know. Gads, I hope she's okay."

XXX

_**Two nights ago…**_

_Artemis and Alison were driving to the Beacon Hills hospital._

_Artemis was bringing her mom some dinner and Alison had offered to give her a ride. They turned the lift into some quality time together so they could talk. _

"_So, are you going to ask me?" asked Artemis._

"_Ask you what?" asked Alison, feigning ignorance._

_Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Alison, come on. You've got that look on your face. There's something you've been dying to ask me for days, but you've been afraid to actually say it. So, just out with it. What do you want to know?"_

_Alison sighed. "Okay, you caught me," she admitted. "I wanted to ask you about Kali."_

_Artemis tensed at the mention of her sister. "My sister? What about her?" _

"_Well, it's just…you never talk about your sister," said Alison. Up until Braeden's appearance at the school, Alison had had no idea that Artemis had even had a sister. Alison had once heard Artemis refer to Alison as the sister Artemis had never had. Why would she do that if she had Kali? "What happened between you two?"_

_Artemis sighed and looked away. "I didn't talk about her because even now sometimes it hurt too much. I was trying to move on."_

"_I'm sorry," said Alison. She regretted bringing it up now. "You don't have to tell me…"_

"_It's fine," interrupted Artemis. "Besides, you might as well know." Now that Kali was back in town and an Alpha, it was probably best that Alison know what she was dealing with. "Before Kalika disappeared, she and I were close. Despite the huge age gap between us, she looked after me, she protected me, cared for me and she was one of my best friends. She had one heck of a temper problem, but she never took her anger out on me. Anyone who ever bothered me, however, did. No one messed with Kali. No one sane, anyway._

"_Growing up, I looked up to her. She was gifted, fearless, stubborn, brave, fierce and no one could ever make her do anything she didn't want to do. She didn't have a lot of friends, but she would tell me that didn't matter to her because she had me and I was better than any friend she could ever have. We were the 'Sisters of the Moon,' as she called it."_

"_She sounds like she was amazing," said Alison._

_Artemis nodded. A small smile crossed her face as she thought of those times long ago when she had been a normal, happy, carefree girl with her sister. Artemis and Stiles had always been close and she cherished her friendship with him so much that she considered him her brother, but sometimes Artemis needed a friend of her own gender. For the longest time, Kali had been that friend she craved._

"_Anyway, ten years ago, my parents got divorced. To be honest, Kali and I didn't care that much. Neither of us cared for our father. He's not like Isaac's father was, but he's still a world-class jerk and we were just glad to be rid of him. But when Kali found out that our father had gotten custody of her and I was the one who was going to stay with our mom, she was furious. She argued against it, but there wasn't anything to be done. So, Kali took matters into her own hands. A few days before Kali was to move out with my father, I woke up one night and found her sneaking out of the house," said Artemis._

"_She decided to run away, didn't she?" guessed Alison._

_Artemis nodded again. "Any life, even one on the streets was better than one with my dad, at least in Kali's opinion. Anyway, when I saw Kali that night, I asked her what she was doing. She told me she was just going out into the woods for stargazing or something like that. She swore to me that no matter what our father did, she'd always be there for me and said she loved me. I was to tell no one she was gone because she was going to be back by morning. Being young and naïve, I believed her. I let her go and I didn't say anything to my parents."_

"_I'm sorry," said Alison, sadly. _

"_It's not your fault. So, anyway, when I didn't see Kali the next morning, I thought maybe she'd gotten home but was sleeping. I didn't say a word until I got home from school. By then my parents found out she was gone and they were frantic. I got scared for Kali by that point so I told them what had happened the previous night. They called the police and before long, Kali's stuff was found in the woods and there was evidence suggesting she'd been attacked by an animal and was probably dead. We searched for months before my father decided to end it and declare her dead. I was devastated. No one blamed me for what happened to her. No one except myself," said Artemis, as tears came to her eyes._

_Alison reached over and gave Artemis's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. I wish there was something I could do to change it. But you've got to know that it's not your fault. Kali made her own choices."_

"_I know," said Artemis. She knew it even if her heart didn't agree. Even now, Artemis regretted not telling anyone about Kali. She blamed herself for her sister's fate. If she'd spoken up earlier or not let her sister leave, things might've been different. "The worst part of it was, that morning when my parents discovered she was missing, they were going to tell her that my mom had persuaded my father into letting Kali stay with us instead of him." _

_Alison looked sympathetic. _

"_So now you know why I said you were the sister I never had, Ali," said Artemis, as she finally looked into her friend's eyes. "Unlike Kali, you've always been there for me, you've never lied to me, you've never betrayed me or tried to hurt me, and in some ways, you're better than she ever was." Artemis would always love Kali, but sometimes Artemis wished that Alison had been her sister by blood._

_Alison felt touched by this and smiled a little. "Thanks."_

_Artemis smiled back as they pulled into the hospital's parking lot. "Wait here. I'll just be a few minutes." She got out of the car with her mother's meal and went inside. _

_After dropping off Melissa's food, Artemis entered the elevator so she could head out. She'd just set foot inside it when a voice said, "Going down, Miss Moon?"_

_Artemis looked up and saw Deucalion was in the elevator. His sunglasses were gone, revealing his blind, Alpha-red eyes. He was without sight, but he was still able to make the elevator move and he was smirking at her with an evil glint in his eyes._

XXX

Two hours later, the storm had passed and the sun was shining, making the day bright and clear. But it was in contrast to the werewolves' moods.

Artemis had yet to wake up, but she was still in bad shape. By now her breathing was becoming labored, she was sweaty and showed signs of a fever.

"Derek, she's bleeding again," said Stiles.

Fresh blood stains were appearing Artemis's shirt and it stank of infection.

"Dang it," muttered Derek. "She's getting worse."

Artemis's wound wasn't taking longer to heal. It wasn't healing _at all_. One of the Alphas had done something to Artemis when they wounded her and if she didn't get help soon, she might die.

"Derek, there's something else. I think Ethan's listening," said Stiles.

Derek looked up and saw that Stiles was right. Ethan kept his ear towards them and he was glancing at them out of the corner of his eye. He was definitely listening.

"Is he going to try something?" asked Stiles.

"Not in front of so many witnesses," replied Derek.

Ethan was a powerful Alpha, but he'd be pretty stupid to try anything in a bus full of so many witnesses.

"What about the three ticking time bombs that're sitting right near him?" asked Stiles. He was referring to Boyd, Isaac and Jackson, who looked like they might do something incredibly stupid on Artemis's behalf.

Derek shook his head. "No. Not here, at least."

"And if they do, then what? Are you going to stop them?" asked Stiles.

"If I have to," said Derek.

If need be, Derek would order the three Betas to stay in their seats and they would have no other choice but to obey their Alpha.

Suddenly, the bus jerked to a stop due to a traffic jam. Stiles checked his phone for any information and found out that the traffic jam was caused by a jackknifed trailer a few miles ahead of them.

The sudden stop caused Artemis to awaken from her slumber. "Are we there already?" she asked, as she yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"No. It's just a traffic jam," said Derek. "How're you feeling?"

"Lousy," she admitted.

Stiles and Derek exchanged worried glances. If Artemis was admitting her pain, then it was worse than they thought.

Artemis then sat up and narrowed her eyes at Boyd. "Crap. Boyd. He's going to do something."

"What? How do you know?" asked Stiles.

Artemis didn't reply as she rose up and began walking over to Boyd's seat, despite the protests from Stiles and Derek and the throbbing pain from her wounds. She reached Boyd's seat just as he extended his claws and she put a death grip on his hand.

"Let go, Artemis!" growled Boyd.

"I know what you're going to do, Boyd," said Artemis, as she narrowed her eyes. "Tell me your brilliant plan and I'll let you go. What're you going to do? Kill Ethan right here and now? And then what? What're you going to do after that?"

"As long as he pays for what he did, I don't care!" hissed Boyd.

He tried to leave his seat, but Artemis's grip on his wrist tightened and Isaac grabbed the back of Boyd's shirt, holding him in place.

"I _do_," said Artemis. "All of us care about you, Boyd! We're your family. You think any of us could stand it if something happened to you? Do you really think that Erica, your mate who loves you more than life itself, could bear to lose you?"

Boyd hesitated and was quiet for a moment as he contemplated this.

Isaac then looked worried when he saw the blood stains on Artemis's shirt. "Whoa, whoa, you're still hurt."

Boyd's eyes flickered downward and he too, became concerned at the sight of Artemis's still unhealed wounds.

"I'm fine," lied Artemis. She didn't take her eyes off Boyd. "Look, Boyd, I know how much you want to stop the Alpha pack, how angry and hurt you are over what they did to you and how much it hurts to not be able to do anything. I felt all of that when Peter turned me and tried to use me to further his plans for revenge. Just like you, I had to make a choice. If you take Ethan's life, if you cross that line and take revenge, there's no going back. So, what's your choice? Revenge or your family?"

Boyd's face softened and he retracted his claws. "I choose my family." Artemis had gotten through to Boyd. Boyd wasn't going to do anything stupid. He was going to stay put and work with the pack to sort out the Alpha pack without taking revenge or lives.

Artemis gave him an approving nod before she slowly walked back to her seat. She then sat down and got back into Derek's arms. Both of them were looking at her with admiration and pride.

"Arty, that was awesome," said Stiles, in awe.

"You did well, Huntress," said Derek, smiling.

Artemis just smiled back in reply.

Truth be told, Artemis hadn't even known what she was doing. She'd just sensed it somehow and had reacted purely on instinct. She'd looked after Boyd and given him a chance to make a better choice than the one he'd been prepared to make. She'd done just what a leader should do.

"Well, now that that crisis is adverted, we've got another one to deal with," said Stiles. "Ethan's checking his phone every five minutes like he's waiting for some kind of message. He's all anxious and stuff."

Derek's eyes narrowed. "What could he be waiting to hear about?"

"I think I know," said Artemis, grimly. She was looking at her phone as she'd just received a text message from her boss. "Dr. Deaton's just left me a message. It's Ennis."

XXX

_**Two nights ago…**_

_Artemis instinctively extended her claws, bracing herself for a potential fight._

_Deucalion just shook his head at her. "Put those away, Artemis. There's no need for that. I only came here to talk."_

_Artemis snorted in disbelief. "And why should I believe you?"_

"_Because if I was going to fight you, we wouldn't be standing here talking about it. Also, I'd have to be blind, deaf and quadriplegic for you to be an actual threat," he said. But they both knew that was a lie and a half. "Or maybe you'd care to take a chance and rise to the occasion? Risk and reward, I believe are the terms. You risk your life to become an Alpha by killing one." _

"_I'm not interested in becoming an Alpha," said Artemis, coldly. Despite knowing what she was going to become and having her own authority in her pack, Artemis had never once sought power. "So, if you're just here to try and goad me into taking a life and becoming an Alpha, you can save your breath. I'm not interested."_

_Deucalion chuckled. "Indeed not. But then again, one who's truly destined for power doesn't seek it—at least, not at first and not always intentionally. Hmm, can you sense that?" He stepped back and closed his eyes as he listened to the sounds around him. "Listen to that. Your heartbeat's so steady. You may smell of fear, but you're controlling your fear. Impressive."_

"_I've had a lot of practice in confronting and controlling my fears," said Artemis, coldly. _

_It was true. After facing down Peter, hunters, the kanima and much more, most of Artemis's fears had been conquered. _

_Deucalion smiled. "I'm aware. You've gained quite the reputation, Artemis. Not a lot of Beta wolves can do what you did. You defied and took down your own sire, ended the war between the hunters and our kind and even stopped a kanima. Not only that, but you've taken an Alpha for a mate and you share the strongest bond I've ever seen in our kind. You've established yourself as his equal and your own authority in your pack, maintained a friendship with the hunters, and yet in spite of all you've faced, you've retained your humanity and never once took a life even at the risk of your own."_

"_Maybe you haven't heard, but unlike you, I'm not in business of taking lives, no matter how I might benefit from it," snarled Artemis. She hadn't taken Peter's life when it could've meant the cure for her lycanthropy or Gerard's when it meant getting rid of the threat he posed to her. Why would Deucalion think she'd take a life to acquire an Alpha's power? _

"_So I've heard," said Deucalion. "But surely you know that sometimes, in order to protect a life, you have to take one. Surely your mate, Derek, taught you this when he killed Peter in order to become an Alpha and protect you?"_

"_Yes, I'm aware. But I don't care," said Artemis. She knew the circumstances back then had forced Derek to take Peter's life for the sake of them all, but he hadn't taken a life since and nor did he intend to do so again unless it was in self-defense or he was protecting her or the pack. "I'm not like you. I don't kill people, period."_

"_Not yet," said Deucalion. "But that can easily be changed."_

"_I seriously doubt it," said Artemis. Peter had tried to make her take lives and join his pack. He'd failed miserably at it. Why would that change? _

"_I don't share those feelings and in time, you'll come to share my own point of view on them," said Deucalion._

"_And why would I?"_

"_Because, I've seen it happen before with your sister. You see, Kali was much like you when she was first turned, but she changed her ways because she knew what needed to be done in order to survive in this world," said Deucalion._

_Artemis nearly wolfed out in anger at this. "Don't bring my sister into this!" She didn't want to hear from Deucalion about what her sister had gone through when she ran away from home. Deucalion may have corrupted Kali, but he wouldn't succeed with Artemis. "Why don't you cut to the chase, Deucalion and tell me what this is about?"_

_Artemis saw through Deucalion's lies about not seeing her as a threat. She knew the danger she posed to him even if he wasn't willing to admit it. _

"_Very well," said Deucalion. He fixed his frightening gaze upon her. "I want to see what you're made of. Come to Peabody's Mall at midnight tomorrow night and come alone. I presume you know where that is?"_

"_Yes." Peabody's Mall had been abandoned years ago after an earthquake left it decimated. Artemis knew its location from having driven by it and explored it a number of times over the years. "But what makes you think I'll show up?" She knew a trap when she saw one. Why would she go to Deucalion's stupid meeting knowing that?_

_Deucalion got right into her face. "I think you know what'll happen if you don't. Or do I need to remind you of what I and my pack are capable of, what lines we're willing to cross to get what we want?" _

_Knowing she had no other option, Artemis was forced to agree. "No, you don't need to remind me. I'll show up. You have my word."_

"_Good girl," said Deucalion. The elevator then dinged as the doors opened. "Oh, Artemis, there're two things I almost forgot to mention. I heard what you did to Gerard Argent. For that, you have my gratitude. I would've preferred him to be dead, but considering how he is now, I guess letting him live is a far better punishment for his crimes."_

"_And what's the last thing?" asked Artemis._

_Artemis had no love for Gerard, but she didn't care for Deucalion's opinion on what fate had befallen him thanks to her and nor did she care for Deucalion's gratitude. _

"_Tell no one about our meeting here or about tomorrow night," said Deucalion. _

"_Fine," said Artemis. "I won't."_

_Artemis left the hospital and as she promised, she said nothing. She didn't like this one bit, but she had no other option. She couldn't risk the lives of her family and friends. All of this was happening because of her. Lives of those she loved were in danger because of she was and the paths she'd chosen. This was her fault. _

_If need be, she'd give up her life for everyone else's. _

XXX

Meanwhile back in Beacon Hills, Cora and Erica were searching through Peabody's Mall.

Cora was looking over the broken escalators where Peter and Ennis had fallen the previous night.

"Anything?" asked Erica. She was waiting at the top of the broken escalators.

"Nothing," said Cora, as she rejoined her friend. "And that's what worries me. Peter and Ennis's bodies are gone. Bodies don't just vanish."

"I agree," said Erica. She looked worried. "So, the question is, were they carried out for burial or did they somehow find the strength to just walk away?"

Cora shrugged. "I don't have the slightest clue." She didn't see how anyone, even two strong werewolves, could survive such terrible injuries like Peter and Ennis had and then survive a huge fall. "Personally, I hope it's the former."

"You and me both," agreed Erica.

Ennis had been one of the girls' captors and had held them prisoner for months. Peter had been a psychotic murderer that no one liked or trusted, not after all he'd done.

"But either way, we need to make sure," said Erica. "The last time everyone thought that Peter was dead, he used Lydia and Derek to resurrect himself."

"So, where the heck do we go now?" demanded Cora.

They'd been searching for hours and had found nothing that could tell them if Ennis or Peter had survived their fall or not.

Erica thought for a moment and then it came to her. "Not where. _Who._ Dr. Deaton. Come on."

And with that, the two girls left for Dr. Deaton's office.

XXX

Downtown at the veterinary clinic, Dr. Deaton was hanging up some x-rays to examine when he heard the bell at the front desk ring.

"Coming!" he called.

Dr. Deaton went up to the front desk and his face fell when he saw who was there. His sister, Miss Marin Morrell, along with three of the Alphas—Aiden and Kali were supporting Ennis, who was badly injured and barely conscious.

"Hello, Dr. Deaton," said Kali. "Long time no see."

"It hasn't been long enough, Kali," said Dr. Deaton, coldly.

Dr. Deaton had always suspected Kali hadn't died when she'd disappeared, but he'd never had any proof until the Alpha pack came to Beacon Hills. Even then, he'd lacked the courage to tell Artemis of what he knew as he feared the knowledge of what Kali had become would only hurt her.

"You can get reacquainted later. We need a little help, Alan," said Miss Morrell.

Dr. Deaton didn't budge. "Try the hospital."

"Open the gate, Alan," said Miss Morrell. Her tone was both demanding and impatient.

"No," said Dr. Deaton, flatly.

Aiden let out a growl as he extended his claws and flashed his red eyes at Dr. Deaton. "Do it or I'll kill your sister," he growled, as he held his claws at her throat.

"Not here, you won't," said Dr. Deaton, coolly. He was right, for Aiden resumed his human form right after that.

Dr. Deaton wasn't afraid and nor was he one to give in to threats and blackmail. His clinic was protected with mountain ash. It was in the building material as well as the gate that separated him from his sister and the werewolves. It also kept Aiden from hurting him or Miss Morrell and as long as Dr. Deaton kept the gate closed, the Alphas couldn't cross it.

"I suggest you leave. Don't make me insist," said Dr. Deaton, sternly.

At this point, Kali approached Dr. Deaton with eyes full of tears. She looked desperate and pleading.

"Dr. Deaton, please, I know I hurt my sister and I've made a lot of choices that you don't agree with," said Kali, as tears slid down her cheeks. "But I am begging you to put that aside for Ennis's sake. Ennis is the only reason I didn't die the night I disappeared. He is my mate, my life, my love and it'll kill me if I lose him. Please, help him."

Dr. Deaton hesitated.

Kali was being truthful, and Dr. Deaton knew very well of the emotional damage a werewolf endured when they lost their mate. He'd witnessed it firsthand before and wished he could forget it. It was something he wouldn't wish on anyone, not even Peter.

"Alan, you know what'll happen if he dies," whispered Miss Morrell. "You know what Deucalion and the others will do. They'll go after the others in Artemis's pack to take revenge, they'll find them, and she'll get in the middle of it all just like she always does. She'll get killed, Alan!"

Knowing Miss Morrell was right and realizing he had no other options; Dr. Deaton sighed and then opened the gate, allowing them entrance. He switched the 'open' sign to 'closed' so they could remain undisturbed while he helped Ennis.

XXX

Half an hour later, Artemis's condition was no better and they were still stuck in traffic as Coach Finstock still refused to pull over for love or money because he was determined to make the meet. Worst of all, because Dr. Deaton was busy taking care of Ennis, he couldn't pick up his phone to answer their calls.

Derek was growing more frustrated with the coach's idiotic stubbornness and more worried about Artemis by the minute. He was on the verge of decking Coach Finstock and hijacking the bus, but wisely restrained himself from doing so.

"Stiles, we need to get Artemis out of here," said Derek.

"How? Coach Finstock won't pull over!" said Stiles. "We can't reason with him or explain why we need to pull over without exposing her or the rest of you."

Derek was quiet for a minute before he spotted Jared, one of the students who was very car sick and was fighting the urge to toss his cookies. Throughout the entire drive, Coach Finstock had been practically threatening the kid not to lose it or else as the coach tended to be rather…sympathetic when it came to illnesses.

"Stiles, why don't you have a little chat with Jared?" suggested Derek.

Stiles looked confused for a moment before he caught on. With an evil grin on his face, Stiles rose up and sat with Jared and chatted with him. The result was almost instantaneous.

Jared's car sickness finally won the battle and Coach Finstock had the bus pull over at the nearest rest stop. Once the bus doors were open, the students ran out of the bus like there was no tomorrow while Coach Finstock had the bus cleaned and disinfected.

With accompanied by Stiles, Lydia and Alison, Derek carried Artemis bridal style out of the bus and into the restroom, which was devoid of any human life. He then placed her on the floor and helped her sit up against the wall.

"I got her bag like you asked," said Alison, as she placed Artemis's luggage on the bathroom floor. "What's wrong with Artemis?"

"She's not healing," said Derek. He began rummaging through the bag until he found what he was looking for.

"What do you mean she's not healing? How can she not—oh, gads," gasped Alison.

Derek had rolled up Artemis's shirt and used one of her hairclips to hold it in place, revealing her wound, which was worse than ever. There were black veins on her skin and her blood had turned into a disgusting black color.

"Stay with me, Huntress. Stay with me," murmured Derek.

Artemis just moaned a little in response and winced from the pain she felt.

Derek cleaned Artemis's wounds of the blood with hot water and a clean rag before he began treating it with what little medicinal supplies he had. But it had very little effect on Artemis's wounds. Worse, her eyes remained close and she barely reacted at all to Derek's treatments.

"This doesn't make any sense. Artemis should be better by now. She's healed a lot quicker from injuries worse than this," said Alison.

"We don't know. But we can't call an ambulance with risking exposure and if she doesn't start healing, like _now, _she could die," said Stiles.

Lydia, who'd been quiet with worry, suddenly spoke up. "You know, it could all be psychological, like somatoformic. Artemis could have a physical illness from a psychogenic cause."

Derek looked up from his treatment of Artemis and frowned in realization. "Meaning it's all in Huntress's head. She's not healing because she's subconsciously refusing to heal and she doesn't even realize it."

Lydia nodded. "Exactly."

"But what could make her choose not to heal?" asked Alison.

Stiles sighed as he figured it out. "Last night with the Alphas. Artemis is blaming herself for that and for her psycho sister, and she probably feels responsible for all the crazy crap that's been happening since Peter turned her. It's guilt, pure and simple."

"The question is, how do we snap her out of it?" asked Lydia. "Stitch up her wounds and make her think she's healing so that she actually will?"

Alison shook her head. "It won't work. Artemis needs to really believe that she's not to blame for what's been happening. We need to convince her it's not her fault."

"How? Artemis is the most stubborn, self-sacrificing person I've ever met," said Stiles. He remembered all too well Artemis's early days as a werewolf. She'd been so afraid of what she was capable of that she'd even asked Stiles to kill her so that she wouldn't hurt anyone. It wasn't something Stiles liked remembering. "And even if there is a way to do it, which of us do you think can get through to Artemis?"

"I can," said Derek, startling them. He'd been thinking it through and had decided that he was the only one who could get Artemis to heal. "I can get through to her."

"You sure about that?" asked Stiles.

Derek nodded. He and Artemis were mates. They were in love and they shared a bond that was stronger than anyone else had ever seen before. If anyone could help her, it was him.

"Just make sure the bus doesn't leave," said Derek. "Go."

And with that, Stiles, Lydia and Alison left the bathroom, allowing the two werewolves some time to themselves.

Derek knelt down in front of Artemis and gently patted her cheek to awaken her. "Artemis, wake up. Wake up."

Artemis stirred and her eyes fluttered open. They were still beautiful as always, but they were also glassy and dull from her pain. "Derek…"

"Huntress, we need to talk," said Derek. "Listen to me, I know why you're not healing. You're not letting yourself heal."

Artemis tiredly frowned in confusion. "How is that possible? I didn't think it was possible for our kind to do that."

"It's rare, but it's not unheard of for our kind," said Derek. "But that's not important. You've got to let go of this guilt you're feeling or you're going to die." He'd been sensing guilt and pain from her for a while now and he felt terrible for not recognizing the reason behind her feelings sooner. "What happened last night was _not _your fault and you are _not _to blame for what we're going through right now and that includes Deucalion's arrival."

"Derek, I can't…" began Artemis. "You could've all been killed last night. If I hadn't agreed to meet Deucalion—"

"Listen to me!" interrupted Derek. His tone wasn't harsh, just desperate and pleading. He could almost feel her slipping away from him. "It's not your fault! You've got to believe me, Huntress. No one blames you. If you want proof of just how much you mean to us, to _me_, just let me in and I'll show you."

Artemis hesitated for a moment before agreeing.

Derek touched Artemis's temples and showed every memory he had of her, every good and beautiful memory that showed Artemis the kind of person she truly was and how much she was loved by her friends and family. And most importantly, Derek showed and allowed Artemis to feel the depth of his love for her.

When it was over, Artemis was crying in Derek's arms. "I love you. I love you so much, Derek," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I love you."

"It's okay. It's okay. I love you too," said Derek. "I love you so much, Huntress. I love you."

When they broke apart and stood up, Artemis's wound was fully healed and it looked as if she'd never been wounded at all. She was going to be just fine now.

XXX

_**Last night…**_

_At twenty minutes to midnight, Artemis's house was quiet, save for the sound of her mother's snoring from her bedroom._

_Quietly, Artemis slipped out of the house and walked her motorcycle until it was safe enough for her to use it without waking her mother. She then drove off to Peabody's Mall and arrived with a few minutes to spare._

_Artemis parked her bike and entered the building. Deucalion said he wanted to see what she was made of, which probably meant he wanted her to fight either him or one of the Alphas in the pack. She wasn't planning on doing that, but she would if she had to. She hoped that she would be able to talk to Deucalion and convince him to leave her and her pack in peace._

"_Artemis," crooned Deucalion. He was standing on a broken escalator in the middle of the main room of the mall. "So glad you could make it."_

"_I said I'd come, didn't I?" said Artemis. _

"_Yes, you did," said Deucalion, nodding. "But you also didn't come alone as I asked."_

_Artemis frowned in confusion. "What're you talking about? I…" She cut herself off as she sensed Derek's presence and inwardly groaned in frustration. She turned around to see Derek and the rest of the pack, including Peter, were all around her. They were wolfed out and looked ready for a fight. "What're you doing here?"_

"_You didn't really think we'd let you do something like this alone, did you?" asked Isaac._

"_How did you even know what I was doing?" she demanded._

_Artemis had been careful not to let the slightest indication of her plans make themselves known to Stiles, Alison or anyone in the pack. She'd even blocked the information from her telepathic link with Derek and thought she'd been careful when she'd snuck out of the house._

"_You're not as sneaky as you'd like to believe, Artemis," said Peter, smirking. "Derek was on his way to see you and saw you sneaking out of your house. When you blocked him out, he figured you were going to pull something noble and stupid like this, so he called the cavalry and followed you here."_

_Artemis should've known. She'd thought her attempt to sneak away to her secret rendezvous had been too easy. _

"_How could you not tell me about this, Huntress?" demanded Derek. "We're a pack. We handle threats together, not alone."_

_Artemis sighed. "I didn't have a choice. And even so, how was I supposed to tell you? I knew you'd do something like this, and that's why you've got to leave. I'm not going to risk your lives for this. This is my fight, my problem. Not yours." Deucalion was after Artemis, not her pack. "You're only going to get yourselves killed."_

_Derek shook his head. "No. We're not leaving you and if anyone dies, it'll be Deucalion."_

_Deucalion just laughed. "You think so, Derek? Then explain to me how that's going to happen. I wasn't the only one who brought backup tonight."_

_As he spoke, the other Alphas made their appearance._

_Kali used her claws to slide down a pillar and looked scarier than any Alpha ever seen before. Ennis came up another escalator and thundered around like an ogre. Ethan and Aiden leapt down from one of the upper levels and they were merged into one large Alpha before they hit the floor. _

_Artemis cast a pleading look at Kali. She had to try at least once more to get through to her sister. There had to be some good in her. Kali's desire to punish Peter for what he did to Artemis and her previous actions had shown that._

_When Artemis was leaving the school the day of the Darach's latest attack, Ethan and Aiden had gotten her alone and tried to attack her in retaliation for her involvement in the bike incident. Kali had shown up out of nowhere and forced them into submission. What was more, Kali had threatened Ethan and Aiden, telling them that unless they went into battle or it was on Deucalion's orders, they weren't to harm so much as a hair on Artemis's head. She'd ordered them to retreat and they'd obeyed. Kali had then fled before Artemis could question her sister and it had left Artemis feeling conflicted and confused about her sister's character and motives._

"_Kalika, please," said Artemis. "Don't do this. It doesn't have to be this way. You're my sister. Our father's gone and Mom knows about you, about all of this. She's waiting for you. We can be a family again. Just come home."_

_Artemis wouldn't hesitate to protect her pack and other loved ones from even Kali, but that didn't mean she desired to fight her own sister. She just wanted Kali to come home. She just wanted her sister back._

_There was a hint of regret in Kali's eyes but no hesitation. "We all choose sides, Artemis," she murmured. "You've chosen yours and I've chosen mine."_

_Artemis's heart broke at this and she felt her eyes burn with tears, but she forced them back as she took a fighting stance. _

"_So be it, then," said Artemis. _

_It was hurting her to have to do this, but she had no choice. She had to protect her family; even it meant protecting it from her own kin. No matter how much it hurt, Artemis's mate and the pack had to come first. _

"_Get them," said Deucalion._

_And with that, the biggest werewolf battle began. Everyone except for Deucalion lashed out at each other. The wolves in Artemis's pack fought one of the Alphas with another's aid. Jackson, Derek and Peter fought against Kali, who matched them in fighting skill. Boyd and Erica fought against Ennis and despite the wounds they sustained, they managed to hold their own against him. Isaac and Artemis struggled against Ethan and Aiden in their merged form._

_Despite those in Artemis's pack aiding one another and outnumbering Deucalion's pack, those in Artemis's pack sustained great and terrible wounds and it became clear that Artemis's pack was losing. Soon, the battle ended. _

_Artemis's pack mates were either lying on the ground trying to heal their wounds or were being held down by the Alphas._

"_Kill them," ordered Deucalion._

"_Wait, stop!" yelled Artemis. Everyone froze at this and stared at her as she spoke. "Just stop, please. We both know it's me you really want, not them. Let my pack go and take me in their place. My life for theirs."_

_The rest of Artemis's pack, minus Peter, all looked horrified and distraught by this._

"_Huntress, no! Don't!" yelled Derek. But he was silenced by a blow to the head from Ennis that rendered him unconscious for a moment. _

_Deucalion was smiling as he descended the elevator. "Well, you heard her. Let her pack go." _

_The Alphas obeyed and Artemis's pack was released. Then Ethan and Aiden grabbed Artemis and held a threatening claw at her throat. They didn't strike as they were waiting for the order from Deucalion to do so. _

"_I am greatly impressed, Artemis. You rose to the occasion just like I hoped you would. I can see your potential for greatness is even more than what I was promised to believe," said Deucalion._

_Artemis frowned in confusion. Promised? Who would've promised Deucalion anything, let alone known about Artemis's True Alpha potential? Was there someone else she needed to worry about, a mole she wasn't aware of? _

_Suddenly, shots were fired from an upper level. Alison was there, firing flash grenade arrows which blinded the Alpha pack due to them not covering their eyes. Derek had called her in as their backup in case things went badly with the Alphas._

_Artemis and her pack took the chance to retaliate. Those who were too badly wounded to fight were taken away and those who could still do battle, fought the Alphas. Artemis delivered a swift jab into Ethan and Aiden's ribs, causing them to release her before she grabbed their arm and threw them over her shoulder._

_Ennis then charged Artemis and the two of them collided. But instead of being knocked off her feet, Artemis felt a surge of power like she'd never felt before that allowed her to land gracefully onto her feet. As she did so, her golden eyes turned red yet again. This time she felt it and knew it had occurred before her eyes resumed their normal gold color. She was getting closer to becoming the True Alpha. It wouldn't be long before the ascension would be complete._

_Ennis roared and was about to attack Artemis again when Peter attacked him from behind. The two of them fought each other hard until their battle led them to the edge and caused them both to fall._

_Despite knowing what both men had done, Artemis couldn't bear to let her sister suffer the grief of losing her mate and nor was she one to let someone die when she could stop it. She ran over to the edge of the floor and tried to grab at least one of them, but to no avail. _

_Peter and Ennis fell and landed many, many stories below onto another set of broken escalators. Both men were back in their human forms and they were unmoving as they lay upon the broken escalators. They appeared to be dead. _

_Kali let out a roar of grief and had to be restrained by Ethan and Aiden while Artemis was pulled away from the edge by her mate._

"_It's time we left," said Deucalion. Judging from his tone, he wasn't at all pleased by these turn of events. "Let us depart."_

_Ethan, Aiden and Kali obeyed and began to follow Deucalion out of the mall. Kali stopped in her tracks when Artemis spoke to her._

"_Kali, wait. Please…" Artemis held out her hand for her sister to take. She'd already found it within herself to forgive Kali for her actions. Kali just needed to accept it. "Please…"_

_Kali just shook her head and departed with the other Alphas._

_The look of devastation on Artemis's face would not be forgotten by those who saw it._

XXX

When Artemis and Derek left the bathroom, Artemis was the picture of health like usual and wearing a clean shirt.

Within moments, Stiles ran over to them both. He was looking panicked as sounds of fight hit their ears.

"Stiles, what's happening?" asked Artemis.

Upon seeing his best friend alive and healthy again, Stiles looked relieved. "Oh, dude. I'm so glad you're okay. But we've got a problem. The others wanted to know what was wrong with you, so I told them, but then they got mad and now Jackson and Isaac are beating the crap out of Ethan. Boyd and I tried to stop them, but they're not listening."

"I'm going to kill them," grumbled Derek.

But in all honesty, no one could really blame them for doing it as it had been Ethan and Aiden who had inflicted Artemis's wound in the first place.

They ran over to where the fight was taking place. Jackson had Ethan's hands behind his back and Isaac was punching him. They were ignoring the coach's orders to stop and had even fought off attempts made by other students to stop.

"If she dies because of you, I'm going to—" snarled Isaac.

"JACKSON, ISAAC, STOP IT!" yelled Artemis.

Her yell caused everyone, even the crowd, to fall silent and Isaac and Jackson ceased their actions as they stared at Artemis.

"Guys, I'm okay," assured Artemis. "Let him go. I'm okay."

When they saw that Artemis was no longer wounded or on the verge of death, Jackson released Ethan and stepped back from him while Isaac hugged Artemis tight and she returned the embrace. They were both immensely relieved to see that she was okay. (More on Isaac's part than Jackson's)

With the fight settled and Artemis back in good health, they resumed their journey onward. Having been caught by the coach, come so far and being unwilling to leave behind their friends, Alison and Lydia ended up accompanying the teams to the meet.

With any luck, they wouldn't have any more problems on their journey.

XXX

Meanwhile, trouble was stirring in Beacon Hills.

After Ennis's wounds were treated by Dr. Deaton, Ennis had been on the road to recovery.

Before Dr. Deaton could tell Kali and the others of this, however, Deucalion had shown up and decided to punish Ennis for not healing on his own. Deucalion killed Ennis and absorbed his power. As a result, Deucalion lied to Kali and the others about Ennis's death, claiming that Dr. Deaton's efforts had been fruitless and the injuries Ennis had sustained from his fight with Peter had killed him.

Kali was devastated at her mate's death, for she had felt him die and she felt as though she had died with him. She didn't know that Deucalion had lied regarding her mate's death. Desiring vengeance, she swore that if Peter was alive and they encountered him, she would make him pay dearly for his actions.

Little did she know…

Far across town, Jennifer had just finished running errands and was about to get into her car to drive home when Peter scared her by grabbing her shoulder for dear life. He was alive, but badly injured and barely hanging onto consciousness.

After her scare, Jennifer grabbed Peter and held him in her arms before he could collapse and then she drove him away to safety.


	6. Motel California

**Motel California**

The night was dark and damp as the school bus pulled into the parking lot of the Glen Capri Motel. No one was happy about having to spend the night at the motel as it looked like a complete and utter dump.

After everyone got out of the bus and grabbed their luggage, Coach Finstock blew his whistle to capture their attention.

"Listen up!" he barked. "The meet's been pushed to tomorrow. This is the closest motel with the most vacancies and least amount of good judgment when it comes to accepting a bunch of degenerates like yourselves." He held up a bunch of room keys. "You'll all be paired up, so choose wisely."

Everyone quickly paired off and grabbed one of the room keys from the coach's hand before going to their room to unwind and get some sleep.

After taking a long shower, Artemis changed into a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. She'd just finished washing her face in front of the bathroom mirror when she saw her brown eyes briefly turn bright red.

Feeling startled, a tiny gasp emitted from Artemis's throat. It had happened again. She was getting closer to becoming the True Alpha.

Suddenly, Derek knocked on the door. "Huntress? You okay?"

"I'm fine, Derek," said Artemis. "I'll be right out." She gripped the edge of the sink and took several deep breaths to calm herself down.

_I'm fine. I'm not the True Alpha yet. This was just one of those moments. It's not going to happen yet. _At least, that's what she told herself.

Just to make certain, she quietly wolfed out for a moment and saw that her eyes were their normal gold color. It was a relief, but it didn't change the fact that the True Alpha business was driving her crazy. Artemis didn't want to be an Alpha and she wasn't seeking power, but she knew that becoming the True Alpha was inevitable. But even so, how could she become the True Alpha that she was meant to be if she was so afraid of it?

With a sigh, Artemis left the bathroom and curled up beside Derek on the bed. She rested her head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair with the other. As usual, Derek's touch soothed her fears and calmed her.

"Huntress, you're trembling. Talk to me," said Derek, softly.

Artemis sighed again. Derek could always tell when she wasn't well. "Derek, it happened again. My eyes, they turned red again."

Derek frowned in concern. "Just now?"

Artemis nodded. "Just now in the bathroom. It was just for a moment, but happened. That's the third time in a row. It can't be much longer before it's finished. Soon, I'll…"

"You'll be the True Alpha," finished Derek.

This caused a great deal of concern. Once Artemis became the True Alpha, there would be no telling as to what Deucalion and his Alphas would do. Artemis posed a threat to them because her potential to be something far greater than any Alpha among them. However, Derek couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his mate's ascension from Beta to Alpha. If anyone deserved to be an Alpha, it was her.

"Yes," said Artemis, softly. She bit her lip as she looked up at her mate. "Derek, I'm scared. I know I can't stop it from happening but…what if I can't do this? What if I can't be the True Alpha everyone's expecting me to be? What if I become like my sister?"

Artemis had established her own authority in the pack long ago, but she never felt like a leader and she worried she was going to let her loved ones down. Worse, there were times when she feared that becoming an Alpha would cause her to become like Kali or Peter. It was a silly fear, considering she had Derek for proof that not all Alphas were bad, but Artemis couldn't help wondering about her own future when she became the True Alpha.

Derek lifted her chin and looked into her brown eyes. "First of all, you're not Kali and you're never going to be. Second, the only True Alpha that we're 'expecting' you to be, is how you are now. You were chosen to be the True Alpha because of the kind of person you already are. You don't need to change and you don't need to be afraid of it. You can do this, Huntress. All this will do is show everyone what I've always seen in you all along."

Artemis couldn't help but smile at this. Perhaps she was worrying over nothing. She didn't need to change to be a better person or leader. The pack trusted her, respected her and were loyalty her as she was now. When she became the True Alpha, she would continue to look after her pack and guide them the same way she always did.

Artemis tenderly kissed Derek. "Thanks for telling me that. I love you, Derek."

Derek smiled as he returned her kiss. "I love you too, Huntress."

After few more moments of kissing, Derek switched off the light and the young couple fell asleep, unaware of the danger they were in.

XXX

Lydia sat on her bed in the room she was sharing with Alison while she waited for her roommate to get out of the shower.

Coach Finstock had refused to let her room with Jackson for the night after she and Alison had more or less stowed away on the roadtrip.

Lydia didn't feel at all comfortable with the idea of staying at the motel. She couldn't explain it, but she just knew something was terribly wrong with the place. It felt like death and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when there was a knock on the door. Jackson came into the room smiling his usual stupid smile.

"Hey, gorgeous. Just thought I'd come see you before—Lydia, you okay?" Jackson looked concerned at the frightened look on Lydia's face.

Lydia shook her head. "I don't like this place."

"Have you seen this dump? I don't think the owner of this place like it," joked Jackson.

It was meant as a joke to lighten the mood, but it didn't work. Jackson quickly became solemn when he saw the look of seriousness on Lydia's face. So, Jackson took a different approach.

"Hey, it'll be okay," said Jackson, as he caressed her face. "It's just for one night. We'll be gone by morning."

Lydia bit her lip in worry. "A lot can happen in one night." How much crap had they all been through, how many disasters and battles, had all happened just in one night?

"Well, even if something does happen, which I seriously doubt it will, remember you've got me and five other werewolves to protect you and the others," said Jackson. "I'll be right next door. Just try and get some sleep, okay?"

Lydia sighed and she nodded before kissing Jackson good-night. Maybe she was just being paranoid. After all, it was just one night in some stupid motel. There were six powerful werewolves there if anything bad happened. What was the worst that could happen?

XXX

Meanwhile, Jennifer was carrying the injured Peter to his apartment.

After Peter had collapsed from his injuries outside of Jennifer's car, she'd taken him away and was driving him to the hospital when he'd woken up and begged her to take him to his apartment.

Against her better judgment, Jennifer hadn't refused Peter's request. She took him to his desired destination, but he'd needed her help to get in as he could barely walk. Carrying Peter was far from easy as he kept going in and out of consciousness and he was very heavy. But somehow, Jennifer managed to do it.

As quickly as she could, Jennifer took Peter's keys from him and got him inside his apartment.

"Holy crap," she murmured. Jennifer was panicking. "This is a very, very bad idea. I shouldn't have turned around. I should be taking you to the hospital."

Peter shook his head. "No. No hospitals. It's too risky." Peter was a dead man and a werewolf. He couldn't very well explain how he'd resurrected himself from the dead or explain his wounds, which should've healed by now. It would raise too many questions that Peter couldn't afford to have asked.

Jennifer bit her lip in worry as she laid Peter down on his bed before her strength gave out from carrying him. Peter's injuries worried Jennifer and she was scared to death that he might die, something she didn't want to happen to him.

"Peter, I need to take a look at your wounds so I can clean them and treat them. Okay? I'll be as gentle as I can," said Jennifer. "I'll try not to hurt you."

"Just do what you have to do," whispered Peter. "Don't worry about hurting me. I've got one devil of a pain tolerance."

Jennifer didn't know what to make of that, so she didn't reply.

Carefully, Jennifer slid Peter's shirt off, which was torn and filthy, and then she examined his wounds. It wasn't good. There were claw marks all over Peter's torso and abdomen as well as his shoulders. The wounds were all deep and bleeding black blood.

"How bad is it?" whispered Peter. She hadn't spoken a word, but he could hear her heart racing with fear and he could see the worried expression on her face.

"Uh…to be honest, the 'oh my goodness' would be for your unbelievable physique if you weren't bleeding black blood," she confessed.

Peter tried to reply, but he couldn't get the words out. Pain threatened to overwhelm him and he coughed as his eyes fluttered shut.

"Peter? Oh, gads, you're not dying, are you?" panicked Jennifer. "Peter?" She touched his shoulder and gently shook him, but there was no response. "Peter, please don't die! Please, don't die!"

Jennifer rested her head on his chest and then relaxed when she heard the soothing lullaby of his heartbeat. Peter wasn't dead.

"Not exactly how I imagined our first date," she said, teasingly.

Peter actually chuckled at this and then he gently stroked Jennifer's hair. "But as first dates go, it's not the worse," he joked.

Jennifer felt a smile cross her face at this as she rose up. "I'm going to get some rags and water to clean your wounds with before I treat them. Just hang in there for me until I get back," she murmured, as she stroked his hair. "I'll be quick, but holler if you need me."

Peter just nodded and fell back asleep as Jennifer went to fetch what she needed to help him heal.

XXX

Back in Alison and Lydia's room, Alison was drying off her hair while listening to Lydia's tale and to be honest, Alison couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Lydia had gotten a paper cut, so she went to the front desk to ask for the first-aid kit so she could bandage it. While there, she'd noticed numbers hanging on a rack on the wall. Lydia had inquired about it and instantly regretted it afterward, for she learned that the numbers represented how many people had died from mysterious circumstances in the motel since its opening more than forty years ago.

"One hundred and ninety-eight?" repeated Alison. "That's how many people have died here since the motel opened?" If that was true, Alison was surprised that the motel had stayed open all these years.

Lydia nodded. "Forty years, one hundred and ninety-eight deaths," she said. "And what kind of person is sick enough to commemorate that with a framed number?"

Alison shrugged. "Evidentially, someone who belongs in the looney bin," she said. "But just to be sure, _all _of them died under mysterious circumstances?"

Lydia nodded again. "All of them. Some died of fright, but they were in perfect health. Others died of animal attacks but there was no trace of an animal near the premises. Others died in ways even _I _think are impossible. And others…well, I don't want to mention those." Lydia had done a little research after she'd learned about the deaths and the information had greatly disturbed her. "And according the reports, every single one of them was acting unlike themselves right before they died. I don't know about you, but I—do you hear that?"

Alison looked puzzled. "Hear what?"

Lydia suddenly became very quiet as she stared at the vent on the wall above them.

Alison didn't hear anything, but judging from the look on Lydia's face, Lydia was hearing something that was scaring her. Lydia's eyes filled with tears and she was becoming paler with every passing moment.

"Lydia…?" said Alison, concerned.

Lydia was shuddering and her breathing was becoming increasingly shallow.

"Oh my gads. Oh my gads," whimpered Lydia. Her hand then flew to her mouth as she let out a shriek of terror.

"Lydia, what happened? What did you hear?" asked Alison.

"You didn't hear that?" said Lydia, shocked. "The two people in the room next door, not Jackson's room, the other one…they died for each other!"

Lydia then ran out of the room and Alison followed her to the one next door. Lydia opened the door of Room 216, which wasn't locked to begin with, and went inside. But when she did, there was no sign of anyone in the room save for Alison and herself.

In fact, the motel room wasn't even available for use as it was being renovated. Plastic hung from the walls, tarp and paint cans littered the floor and there was construction workers' equipment all over the place.

Alison looked concerned and worried while Lydia looked baffled and frightened.

"It had to be right here," said Lydia. "I heard them."

"Heard who?"

"It was a young couple. The guy was dying of something, I don't know what. He died and then…" Lydia swallowed painfully. "His girlfriend…she couldn't live without him."

Alison became pale at what Lydia meant.

"I heard them, Alison. I swear to heaven, I am not making this up!" said Lydia.

"I know," said Alison, soothingly. "Lydia, I believe you. After everything we've been through, I've no reason not to."

This wasn't the first time something strange had happened with Lydia and Alison didn't think it would be the last. But Lydia's sudden ability to hear a death raised concerns.

Lydia looked relieved for a moment before she came serious. "I was right. That's it. There is something seriously wrong with this place. We need to leave." She went back to their room and frantically packed her things.

"Lydia, you need to calm down," said Alison. "None of those deaths were murders and it's not like this place is haunted."

Lydia gave her a look. "I'm dating a werewolf who used to be a kanima, there's an Alpha pack and an evil druid on the loose, we're both friends of a werewolf pack, you're the youngest in a family of werewolf hunters, and you're saying a haunted motel isn't possible?"

Alison had to admit Lydia had her beaten. "No, but you've got admit, it's a bit strange even for us. Why don't we talk to receptionist and see if we can't find out more about what it is that's happening here."

"Okay, fine. But I still want to leave," said Lydia.

The two girls went to the front desk but the receptionist was gone and she'd left a sign saying she wouldn't be back until six A.M. at the earliest. However, Alison's worry increased when she saw the numbers on the wall.

"Lydia, didn't you say the number was one hundred and ninety eight?" asked Alison.

Lydia nodded in confusion and then she saw the number had increased. It now read two hundred and one. "It didn't say two hundred and one. It said one hundred and ninety-eight, I swear to heaven!"

"What does this mean? There've been three more deaths?" asked Alison.

"Or three deaths about to happen," said Lydia, gravely. "We need to find Stiles."

Stiles tended to know more than any of them and his instincts tended to be spot on when it came to the supernatural. So, it was only natural that Lydia and Alison would go to him for help.

As it turned out, they didn't need to go to Stiles' room, because the young teen came running over to the girls looking frantic.

"Guys, we've got a problem. Artemis and Derek are gone," said Stiles.

"Gone? What do you mean they're gone?" demanded Alison.

"As in they're gone. You know, gone as in not here, missing, disappeared, A.W.O.L., however you want me to say it!" said Stiles, in worried exasperation. "They're gone. Artemis left her phone in my room after we were done talking, so I went to give it back. The door to the room she was sharing with Derek was ajar, the lights were off and all their stuff was there but they weren't. Something's wrong."

Lydia shot Alison a smug look. "You see? I was right. It _is _the motel!"

"We don't know that yet!" said Alison, stubbornly.

Stiles looked confused. "Mind clueing me in here?"

"Find the others and get them into our room. We need to talk, _now_," said Lydia.

And with that, Stiles searched for, found and woke up the other members of Derek and Artemis's pack. Boyd, Isaac and Jackson weren't happy at being woken up in the middle of the night, but their moods changed rather quickly when Stiles told them there was an emergency going on.

"This doesn't make any sense," said Isaac, during their emergency meeting. "They wouldn't just up and leave like this."

"You're _sure _it didn't look like they were taken, Stiles?" asked Boyd.

Stiles nodded. "My dad's the sheriff. I've seen enough crime scenes of a kidnapping to know what one looks like. Trust me, no one took them."

"Then it's got to be the motel!" said Lydia. "We need to find them and get the heck out of here before it's too late! And while we're at it, someone should learn an exorcism just in case something's mad them go crazy and we've got more ammunition against an Alpha and a potential True Alpha?" As she spoke, she pulled out the motel room's bible and shook it.

"Wait, hold on. What if it's not just the motel? Maybe we were meant to come here. The numbers in the office went up by at least three," said Stiles. "Only in this case, it's not just three more sacrifices, it's three werewolves."

"And Derek and Artemis are two of the Darach's chosen," said Alison, in realization. "Ethan must be the third sacrifice."

Isaac frowned in confusion. "Ethan? Why him?"

"Because he's an Alpha and the only other werewolf here!" said Lydia, impatiently. "Now that we know that, can we find them and get the heck out of here now?"

Jackson was about to reply when he saw the papers sticking out of the bible Lydia was holding in her hand.

"Lydia, let me see that," said Jackson. He took the bible from her and shook it out onto the bed. The papers were newspaper articles and each one told the story of a mysterious death that had occurred in the motel.

"Well, that's not creepy," said Isaac, looking disturbed.

"No kidding," said Boyd, in agreement. "Look at this. Every single one of these deaths mentioned in the articles were here in this motel room. I bet all the other rooms are like this. They all have a bible about some freaky death that occurred."

Everyone looked somewhat disturbed at this.

"Guys, I think I just found out how all of this started," said Stiles. He held up what appeared to be the oldest of the articles. "Look at this. '_Alexander Argent, known hunter, found dead in room 217 of mysterious animal bite and bullet wound_. _Motel Glen Capri now believed to be cursed._' It's dated March 15, 1977."

"That's when the mysterious deaths started," said Lydia.

"So, this all started when my dad's uncle died," said Alison, in disbelief. She'd heard stories growing up, but she hadn't believed her family was _this _messed up. "He died here under mysterious circumstances and now others do too."

A cold shiver went down everyone's spines at this.

"Okay, that's it. We need to find Derek, Artemis and Ethan and get them out of here before it's too late," said Stiles. "Come on!"

And with that, they all ran out of the motel room.

XXX

Meanwhile, Jennifer was entering Peter's bedroom with a bowl of hot water and a clean rag so she could tend to Peter's wounds.

Jennifer thought he would be resting, but instead Peter was gasping in pain as he tried to stand up and leave the bedroom. His knees buckled and he would've collapsed again if Jennifer hadn't put down her bowl and rags just in time for her to catch him.

"Peter, you shouldn't be moving like that. Let me help you," said Jennifer. She quickly propped up the pillows against the headboard before easing Peter onto the bed. "You need to rest and heal up."

"I'd love to, but I can't," said Peter. "Everyone thinks I'm dead. I have to find them and tell them about Ennis."

"You're in no shape to set foot outside this room, never mind search Beacon Hills for your friends," said Jennifer, firmly. She began cleaning his wounds as gently as she could. "Besides, maybe everyone believing you're dead is a good thing. Do you know how many characters use a false death to their advantage? Have you ever read _Les Miserables_ or _A Tale of Two Cities _or _Romeo and Juliet?_" Maybe the faked death in the last one hadn't been that good, but it got the point across.

Peter smiled before he looked sad. "It doesn't matter. They may not like or trust me, but I've got to tell them." He tried to rise up again, but Jennifer forced him back down. Though, in his weakened state, she didn't need to try very hard.

"Peter, do you have any idea how bad you look? You're like one giant open wound. I'm not even sure you're not really dead," said Jennifer. "You need to regain your strength and get better. You won't be any good to your friends if you don't get better."

Peter didn't reply. He knew she was right, but he wasn't about to admit it.

Jennifer looked worried again. Peter's wounds were cleaned now, but she'd found nothing that could be used to help him.

"Peter, I checked everywhere. You don't have any bandages or any kind of first-aid I can use to help you," said Jennifer. "Is there someone I can call that you can trust? A personal physician or something?"

Peter shook his head. There was Dr. Deaton, but Peter seriously doubted the man would lend any help to Peter, not after all he'd done when he was the Alpha.

"Then what can I do? Why don't you have any first-aid?"

"You can stay here and keep talking to me," said Peter. He wasn't much of a romantic, but Jennifer's voice was very alluring. It was soft and sweet, like a melody and he enjoyed hearing her speak. "And I don't have bandages or first-aid because usually I don't need them. Usually I just need time."

Jennifer didn't seem convinced, but she didn't argue.

"You shouldn't be here, Jennifer," said Peter.

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"Because you don't know me. You don't know anything about me. You think I'm like one of the heroes in your books. I'm not. I'm not a hero, Jen," murmured Peter.

For the first time in a long time, Peter was being selfless. He couldn't help it. Ever since they'd met the night of the full moon, Peter had felt an undeniable attraction towards Jennifer. Love, perhaps? He didn't know for sure. He'd never been in love before. But he did know that he didn't want her to get hurt.

"Maybe not," admitted Jennifer. "But sometimes the dangerous bad boy gets the girl and he's the one everyone likes best."

"You say that now, but Jen…I've done things in my life that I can't bring myself to regret yet are pretty unforgivable," said Peter, as his voice cracked. "It's driven my family away. They'll never trust me again and I can't say I blame them. You'll only get hurt if you get close to me."

Jennifer slid her hand into his and intertwined their fingers. "You could never hurt me, Peter." She gently caressed his face with her other hand, which made his skin break out in goose bumps and then she gently kissed him.

Peter resisted at first, but after a moment he found himself succumbing to his feelings. He returned Jennifer's kisses and her love with an intense passion.

As they lost themselves in their love, they didn't even notice that Peter's wounds had finally healed.

XXX

Stiles was frantically searching for Artemis and Derek.

They'd found Ethan in Room 216 in a hypnotic trance of some sort about to do something very, very wrong. Ethan snapped out of it when he accidentally burned his hand on the heater in the room during a struggle that went down. Despite being a tough Alpha, they could tell Ethan was shaken by what had just occurred for it hadn't been of his own volition. But nor he show any signs of gratitude towards those who'd saved his life.

Finding Ethan in the conditions that they had caused Stiles and the others to panic and worry more for their missing friends. After realizing it was heat that had broken the spell on Ethan, they'd divided the bus's emergency road flares and lighters among them, split up and were searching everywhere.

"Come on, Artemis. Where are you?" murmured Stiles, as he ran his fingers through his hair. Where could his best friend be?

It was then that Stiles dared to look up and he was both shocked and horrified by what he saw Artemis on the roof.

Quickly, Stiles ran up to the rooftop of the motel. Artemis was standing near the edge of the roof, clutching several heavy weights. She trembled and shook from the sobs that wracked through her body. She was about to take a leap of faith into the water that was nestled down below them.

"Artemis, what're you doing?" asked Stiles, as his voice cracked.

Artemis glanced at him, revealing the sad and defeated look on her face. "You shouldn't be here, Stiles. Go back to bed."

"Why should I? There's plenty of room for both of us up here," said Stiles. Carefully and cautiously, he stepped towards her. "Listen, it's pretty wet out here. Why don't you put those weights down and come back inside with me? We'll get you dried off and watch a late-night movie."

Artemis didn't do as Stiles suggested. She just closed her eyes. "I'm so, so sorry, Stiles."

"For what?" asked Stiles.

"For everything," said Artemis, as her voice cracked. "I never should've gone out the night Laura died. Everyone's lives would've so much better if I had just stayed home."

"What're you talking about?" asked Stiles. He was getting closer. He could almost reach the weights. Once he got them out of Artemis's grasp and pulled her away from the edge, she'd be safe. He just needed to keep her distracted and keep her talking. "I thought we had fun that night. It was just like old times."

A sad smile crossed Artemis's face. "You've no idea how much I want the old times back," she confessed. "Do you remember them, Stiles? We thought we were the coolest pair since Holmes and Watson, but the truth is, we were just two stupid kids who kept getting into trouble." She began crying again. "We can never be that way again and it's all my fault. Everything's my fault."

By now Stiles was really worried. "That's not true."

"Isn't it? Look at what's happened since the night you and I snuck out to find Laura!" cried Artemis. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Peter chose _me_ to be his first Beta and he came this close to turning me into a monster that would've killed everyone I love! He nearly killed Derek because of me. And how many times have I almost lost you or another innocent because my choice to remain what I am? How many times have you had to lie your dad and risk everything just to help me?

"My mom could've died when Gerard threatened her to get me to obey him because he knew how invaluable I was to him. And now Deucalion's here because I'm the one who'll become the True Alpha and there's no telling what he'll do, how many lives he'll take or destroy just to get rid of me because of the threat I am to him. And the next time he decides to take action, he could kill someone I care about. You, Stiles. I can't let that happen. I've got to make sure no one else suffers because of me."

Stiles was panicking now, though he strove to conceal it. "Arty, listen to me. It's not your fault all this stuff's happened. Sometimes the universe is just unfair. I've watched you go through a lot of crap, but no matter what life's thrown at you, you've always come back and you've done so much good. You've saved lives, Arty."

"Yes, I have. I've saved the lives of my friends, saved the lives of strangers and even tried to save my enemies, but I can't save my own sister," said Artemis. Her eyes became dull with grief. "Kali is all my fault. If I hadn't let her go, if I'd been a better sister, then Kali never would've disappeared. If I had just told someone about her leaving earlier, she would've been found. If I hadn't given up on her, I could've found her and brought her home. If I had been better, she wouldn't be with Deucalion's pack and I wouldn't have to fight her. I saved Jackson from being the kanima and he was a jerk I didn't even like, but I can't save my own sister that I love no matter how hard I try. What does that say about me, Stiles?"

By this point, Stiles was face-to-face with Artemis. His heart was almost beating out his chest with fear and he was crying as well.

"It says you're a person with a lot of heart that doesn't quit on people, even when they're awful to her," said Stiles. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat and he failed miserably. Arty, just listen to me, okay? Kali wasn't your fault. What happened to her was her own choice. You are not someone who wrecks lives. You're someone who makes them better. You're more than just my best friend, Arty. You're my sister and I need you. '_Family don't end in blood,_' remember?"

Artemis didn't reply, but Stiles could tell that he was getting through to her.

Stiles then placed his hands on hers. "So, if you're going to take a leap of faith, then take you're going to have to take me with you because I'm not leaving you." If he had to, he would go with her. She was more than just his best friend. She was his family.

Artemis's grip on the weights suddenly loosened and Stiles took the chance to take them away before he pulled her away from the edge of the roof. He then took out the lighter from his pocket and brushed the flame against her hand.

"Ow!" cried Artemis. She winced and shook her hand as it quickly healed. She then realized where they were. "Stiles, what…oh, gads." Artemis's knees nearly buckled beneath her and fresh tears glistened in her eyes as the memory of what she'd nearly done threatened to overwhelm her.

Knowing they both desperately needed it, Stiles held Artemis in a tight embrace. "It's okay, Artemis," he murmured. They were both crying, not in sadness, but in relief that they were both still alive and hadn't lost each other. "It's okay."

"Thanks, little brother," whispered Artemis. "I needed to hear that."

Stiles smiled and his grip on her tightened as he felt deeply touched. Right now, in that moment, no one could say that they weren't family. What had just occurred between the two of them proved that they were truly siblings in all the ways that mattered most.

After another second or two, Artemis and Stiles broke apart and then went looking for Derek, who was still in danger.

They didn't have to search for long for down below in the parking lot, Derek was standing in the middle of it. He was drenched in gasoline and clutching a road flare. Like Artemis had mere moments alone, Derek looked devastated but determined.

Alison and the others were watching him, trying to reason with him, but Derek didn't respond to any of them. He didn't even look up until Artemis's voice rang across the parking lot, for she was singing to him.

Artemis knew precisely what Derek was feeling and what he was thinking, for she could sense it all. Like she had done earlier, he was blaming himself for the lives of his loved ones being in danger, grieving for those he could not save and believed that he needed to be gone in order for there to be peace and happiness. Though he was wrong, the Darach was causing him to believe otherwise.

"_If I never knew you  
If I never felt this love  
I would have no inkling of  
How precious life can be__…_" sang Artemis.

At the sound of Artemis's voice, Derek looked up and saw her approaching him. She was reaching for him and there was very little fear in her voice or on her face. There was only love to be found there, love for him that words could never truly begin to describe. Artemis was singing that particular song because she knew it would capture his attention and at least begin to explain to him the impact he had on her life.

"_And if you never held me  
I would never have a clue  
How at last I'd find in you  
The missing part of me…"_

As she sang, Artemis used her link with Derek to show him just how much he meant to her and how much good he'd done, not just in her life, but in the pack's as well. He'd saved her from Peter, he loved her and he'd given those with nothing everything they'd ever wanted—a family and someone to look up to as an older brother or a father. And no matter what life threw at them, Artemis would never stop loving Derek, not for a moment.

"_And I'm so grateful to you  
I'd have lived my whole life through  
Empty as the sky  
Never knowing why  
Lost forever  
If I never knew you__ …_" sang Artemis.

By now, Artemis was caressing Derek's face with one hand and he was trembling under her touch. She was getting through to him, but she was prepared to go with him just like Stiles had been for her just moments ago. Derek covered Artemis's hand with his own and allowed her to take the road flare away from him.

Quickly, Artemis took the road flare and touched the flame to Derek's hand, which caused him to snap out of it. When he did, he looked shaken like Artemis had never seen before he held her tight against him and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Oh, Huntress…" he whispered.

"Shh," murmured Artemis, as she dropped the road flare and ran her fingers through his black hair. "It's okay, Derek. It's okay. I'm here."

Everyone heaved a sigh of a relief at this. Their friends were saved. The awful night was finally over.

Or not quite yet.

Suddenly, the wind blew the forsaken road flare into the puddle of gasoline and Lydia barely pulled Derek and Artemis away in time before flames roared to life. For a brief moment in the middle of the burst of flames, Lydia saw the Darach. It was tall, dressed in a black hooded cloak and had a face like death.

If anyone had any doubts the Darach had sought to sacrifice three werewolves that night, no one did now.

XXX

After the sacrifices were prevented, all parties involved, save for Ethan, spent the night on the school bus. None of them felt comfortable staying in the motel. But everyone was too shaken to sleep and when morning came, they all felt as tired as they had the previous night.

At eight A.M., Coach Finstock entered the bus and decided not ask questions about the sleepy early passengers in the bus. Instead, he just informed them that the cross-country meet had been cancelled and they were going back to Beacon Hills. While most people were annoyed they'd traveled so far for nothing, Artemis and her friends were just happy to be getting away from the accursed motel.

"Hey," said Ethan, catching Artemis's attention. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Artemis was surprised but didn't let it show. She just nodded and made room for him on the backseat of the bus where she, Stiles and Derek were sitting.

"Look, I don't know what the heck happened last night, but I do know that your pack saved my life," said Ethan. "I like to repay my debts, so I'm going to tell you something I think you ought to know. It's about your sister, Kali."

Artemis immediately felt worried. "Is she okay?"

Ethan shook his head. "She's a mess right now. Ennis is dead. He survived his fall, and Dr. Deaton did what he could to help, but apparently he was beyond healing. He died of his wounds that Peter inflicted. And as I'm sure you're aware, Ennis was your sister's husband as well as her mate."

"Oh, gads," said Artemis, horrified. She remembered all too well how she'd felt when she'd thought Derek had been killed. Kali's pain would be far worse. "How bad is it?"

"Very. In all the time we've known her, my brother and I have never seen Kali so broken before," said Ethan, gravely. "But that's another thing. Kali's devastated, but she's also furious. She wants revenge on Peter for his part in his Ennis's death."

"Peter's alive?"

Ethan nodded. "We believe so, yes. His body was gone when we went to take Ennis to Dr. Deaton's. Your pack didn't take him and neither did we, which means he's still out there and if Kali finds him, she's going to kill him to make him pay for what he did to her and to you."

_I can't believe what I'm hearing. Peter's still alive, Ennis is dead and Kali's devastated. Oh, goodness. _Artemis didn't like the sound of any of this. _Now what's going to happen?_

"I'm not telling you this to hurt you," continued Ethan. "I just know that if it was Aiden in Kali's place, I'd want to know." He rose up and began to walk to his seat he shared with Danny, only to stop in his tracks. "Oh, Artemis, one other thing. No matter what you may think or what Kali says or does, she does love you and she regrets leaving you."

"How do you know that?" asked Artemis. _How could Ethan possibly know about Kali's regrets? She rarely lets anyone in. _Did Kali even _have _regrets?

Ethan gave her a rare smile. "Because she still wears the locket you gave her and I see it in her eyes everyday," he replied, before he took his seat.

Just then, Coach Finstock walked by as he did a head count before they went home and Lydia took the chance to grab his whistle. Once she had it, she carefully blew it into her palm and when she pulled back her hand, there was a yellow colored powder on her palm.

"Derek, is this what I think it is?" asked Lydia.

Derek examined Lydia's hand and frowned at the sight of the powder. "It's rye." His eyes briefly turned red with anger.

"Rye? As in the grain?" asked Stiles.

Derek nodded. "It's not just a grain. If it gets into an Alpha's system, it can cause severe hallucinations."

Alison, Lydia, Stiles and the rest of the werewolf pack looked afraid at this. Now they knew why only Derek, Artemis and Ethan had been affected. Derek and Ethan were Alphas and Artemis was on the verge of becoming a True Alpha.

"So, whenever Coach blew his whistle on the bus, he was accidentally poisoning us with the rye because we were inhaling it," said Artemis. "That's how the Darach got into our heads last night."

"Well, it's not happening again," said Derek. He took the whistle and tossed it out the window before Coach Finstock noticed.

The Darach was proving to be a formidable foe. But they would stop him…somehow.

XXX

Meanwhile, Chris Argent was doing some investigative work of his own.

Ever since Artemis had told him of the Alpha pack's arrival in Beacon Hills, he'd been trying to track them and learn more about them. He'd been surprised when he learnt of Artemis's sister being one of the Alphas, but she was the least of his concerns. Right now, he was visiting someone in order to acquire a piece of vital information.

"A second visit so soon, Chris? Really, you shouldn't have," said Gerard, as he turned his wheelchair around to face his son. "I'm flattered."

After the battle with the kanima that had resulted in Artemis tricking Gerard into taking werewolf venom spiked with mountain ash, Gerard had managed to survive. But he no longer posed a threat as he couldn't even walk and he was still coughing up black ooze. He was forced to rely on special home for his care for Chris refused to let Gerard reside with him and Alison after his betrayal.

Chris narrowed his eyes at his father. "I'm not here for a social visit. I just want some information and then I'm gone."

"Until next time," said Gerard, smirking. "What is it you want to know now?"

Chris folded his arms across his chest. "March 15, 1977 was the night my uncle died at the Motel Glen Capri. He was bitten and took precautions to make sure he wouldn't harm you or anyone else. I want to know the name of the Alpha who bit him."

Gerard looked sickened at having to say the Alpha's name. "Deucalion."


	7. Currents

**Currents**

A few days following the disastrous school road trip, the Beacon Hills Memorial hospital was packed like Artemis had never seen before as she came to drop off some dinner for her mother.

Injured patients were coming in by the dozen and it looked like the hospital staff was shorthanded. Melissa was trying to find out more about a missing doctor while helping a patient who was coming in and she looked frazzled.

Artemis caught her mother's attention when Melissa turned around. Instantly, Melissa looked both relieved and pleased.

"Oh, thank goodness," said Melissa, smiling. "I'm _starving_." She took the food, but then winced for not thanking her daughter. "Sorry. Thank you for bringing me dinner."

Artemis just smiled as they embraced. "Is everything okay, Mom?"

Melissa sighed. "Except for half the accidents of a ten car pile-up being rerouted here from downtown and the E.R. attending not answering any his pages? Yeah, I'm okay."

Artemis frowned. "What does not answering his pages mean?"

"It means no one can find him," explained Melissa. "So, now we have to wait for the on-call doctor to get here."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Artemis was no doctor, but she knew a bit of first-aid, plus she could take away some of the patients' pain.

"I appreciate the offer, sweetheart, but no," said Melissa. "Why don't you just—"

"HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP! I NEED HELP!"

Artemis's eyes widened when she saw Ethan carrying Danny into the hospital. Ethan was yelling for help and he looked scared to death and Danny was struggling to breathe and looked to be on the verge of death.

Quickly, Artemis and Melissa ran over to the two teenage boys. Artemis helped Danny sit down and then Melissa looked Danny over to find out what was wrong.

Artemis felt a surge of anger towards Ethan. Something was terribly wrong with Danny and Ethan just happened to be with him when it occurred? Coincidence? Artemis didn't think so.

"What did you to him?" she demanded.

"Nothing!" snarled Ethan. "He said he was having chest pains and trouble breathing, but it kept getting worse!"

Ethan seemed truly afraid and worried for Danny, so Artemis decided she believed him.

Melissa looked worried as she pressed her hand against Danny's throat. "This isn't good. His larynx is shifted to the side. I think it's a tension pneumothorax."

Having spent quite a bit of time at the hospital with her mother, Artemis knew that wasn't good. Danny's lung was collapsed and his heart was literally beating out of his chest.

Suddenly, Danny turned green and clutched his stomach.

Knowing what was going to happen, Artemis quickly grabbed a bucket from behind the front desk and Danny lost his lunch. But there was the stench of mistletoe reeking from it.

"Mistletoe," breathed Ethan.

Artemis knew what Ethan was thinking, because she was thinking the same thing. Danny had just been targeted by the Darach and unless they did something fast, Danny was going to be a sacrifice.

Melissa then called for help by some orderlies, and Danny was wheeled into a room for medical treatment. As they were both worried about Danny, Artemis and Ethan followed.

"Can you two please go back to the waiting room?" asked Melissa.

"No," replied Artemis, honestly.

Neither of them could stand to just wait to know if Danny was going to live or die. And since the Darach had targeted him, that made Danny their responsibility.

"Where're all the doctors and nurses?" demanded Ethan.

"It's a full house tonight. They're busy with other patients," explained Melissa.

"Well, what can we do to help?" asked Artemis.

"Well, if one of you could help him calm down and relax, this would be a lot easier," admitted Melissa.

"How?" demanded Ethan.

"I know how," said Artemis. She grabbed Danny's hand and black veins made their way up her hand and arm as she took some of Danny's pain away. The result was instantaneous. Danny relaxed and though his breathing was still labored, it wasn't quite as bad.

"Artemis, what did you just do to him?" asked Ethan. But his tone was quieter than Artemis had expected.

"I took away some of Danny's pain. It's a trick my boss taught me," said Artemis, as she rubbed her wrist. She'd almost overdone it. She had to be careful as taking away too much pain could be fatal for the werewolf doing it. "It's not much, but it should help."

"It's helped, sweetheart," assured Melissa. "Now, I need you two to help a little more. Artemis, grab the tape. Ethan, you grab those scissors and cut his shirt open."

Artemis and Ethan obeyed.

Ethan grabbed the pair of surgical scissors that were sitting on the on the table and cut open Danny's short. Artemis helped Melissa tape a medical device in between Danny's fingers and then Melissa filled a syringe and then injected it into Danny just beneath his collarbone.

Within moments, Danny was breathing easily and his eyes were opening. He looked at the three people surrounding him with immense gratitude.

"Thank you," he said, gratefully.

Melissa smiled at Danny. "You're Welcome."

Ethan looked relieved and squeezed Danny's hand. "You really are a survivor."

Danny just chuckled.

Artemis looked at her mother in awe. "Mom, that was _awesome._"

Melissa's smile widened. "Thanks, honey. Now, why don't you two head home? Danny will be fine, I promise."

Ethan looked reluctant, but he agreed. "Okay," he said. He gave Danny's hand one last squeeze. "I'll come visit first thing in the morning, I promise."

Danny nodded and returned the squeeze as he smiled at his friend.

Artemis and Ethan then left the hospital and went to the parking lot to get on their bikes and head home.

"Hey, Artemis?" said Ethan, as they got on their bikes. "I know you don't believe me, but I really didn't do anything to Danny, I swear."

"I _do _believe you," said Artemis. No one could fake the amount of fear scent Ethan had been emitting or the worry in his voice and facial expression. "Danny owes you his life. If you hadn't been with him, he'd be dead. And for that, I'm sorry that I accused you of having anything to do with it. But in all fairness, you haven't given me much reason to trust you or your brother."

Ever since they'd arrived in Beacon Hills with the Alpha pack, Ethan and Aiden had caused nothing but trouble. They were involved in kidnapping Erica, Boyd and Cora, they'd attacked Artemis and her pack, they'd locked Isaac in the janitor's closet and they'd been acting suspiciously for weeks.

"I understand," said Ethan. "If our roles were reversed, I would do the same. But know this, Danny is my best friend. I would _never _hurt him."

"I believe you," said Artemis. Ethan wasn't lying, she could tell. "By the way, how's Kali? I haven't heard from her since the fight at the mall."

Kali may have chosen Deucalion's side, but that didn't mean Artemis didn't love her or feel concerned for her. Kali had just lost Ennis. She was going to be in bad shape for a while, at least emotionally.

"Kali's grieving, but she's surviving," said Ethan. "She still wants Peter dead, but she's also worried about you."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Why would she be worried about me?" Despite Ethan's claims that Kali still loved Artemis and regretted leaving her, Kali had made it clear where her loyalties lie the night at Peabody's Mall.

"Because you're her sister," said Ethan. "And she also wants answers."

"Answers about what?" asked Artemis. _As if I couldn't guess. _

"During the fight at the mall, you told Deucalion you both knew it was you he wanted and your eyes turned red. That's a bit strange, don't you think?" said Ethan. "How about you tell me what's going on so I can tell her?"

Artemis shook her head. "If Kali wants answers, she can ask me herself." She wasn't about to talk to Ethan about her secret until he'd earned her trust. But even if Kali asked her, Artemis didn't know if she'd tell her sister what was going on.

"Fair enough," he admitted. "Any chance you could teach me how to do what you did for Danny?"

"Maybe. I—" Artemis was cut off when a large van drove into the parking lot and then crashed into one of the parked cars.

Worried, Artemis and Ethan ran over to the van to see who was hurt. But there was no one in the van. There was just a dead moth with damaged wings in the driver's seat.

The police were called and it quickly became evident that the Darach had struck again. The van had belonged to the on-call doctor, who was now declared missing and presumed dead and the police found the body of the E.R. doctor who'd never showed up for his shift.

Both doctors qualified for healers and were undoubtedly sacrifices for the Darach. But the question remained: why would the Darach target Danny?

XXX

The following morning, Peter was pacing around Derek's apartment. He was antsy and completely bored out of his skull.

Peter had returned to Derek not long after his wounds had healed and he was regretting it. No one had been surprised when he'd come back. They all knew he hadn't died. His body hadn't been taken by them or the Alphas and Ethan had said Peter was alive. But no one was entirely happy about it either as no one liked or trusted him.

Kali wanted Peter dead for his role in Ennis's death and was hunting him down. Normally, no one would've cared that much if Peter died for the second time in a row, but Artemis had decided to show mercy on Peter because he had protected her from Ennis. She couldn't deny that she owed Peter her life so it had been decided that Peter was on watchful house arrest for his own safety until further notice.

Naturally, Peter didn't enjoy being a prisoner in Derek's apartment. Partially, because he would rather be spending his time with Jennifer, his new girlfriend and potential mate or doing anything else for that matter.

"Would you quit pacing already? You've been doing that for hours," said Cora. She was painting her nails and she found her uncle's repeated pacing rather annoying.

"I can't help it. I'm _bored_," said Peter, through gritted teeth.

"Would you rather be bored or dead?" asked Derek. He was sitting on the living room couch reading a book. "Because last time I checked, you need to lay low because Kali wants your head on a platter."

"I am aware," said Peter. "But is there some reason why I can't lay low with Jennifer or at my own apartment?"

"One, Kali might be waiting for you to return to your apartment. And two, if you did go to Jennifer's place, how long do you think it'd be before Kali showed up and killed her to get to you? An eye for an eye, a lover for a lover," said Derek.

Peter sighed as he grudgingly realized Derek was right. Peter wasn't about to hand himself over to Kali like that and nor was he about to put Jennifer in danger. He loved her too much to do that.

"You should just count yourself lucky we're not handing you over to her," said Cora.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Or count myself lucky Artemis has Derek wrapped around her little fingers," he muttered.

"I heard that!" said Derek, glaring at Peter.

"I _wanted _you to hear it," snapped Peter. "And here's something else I want you to hear, Artemis's psycho sister is never going to give up hunting me. So, when Kali finds me and she _will_, how do you expect to fight her? Kali's a killer Alpha in need of a pedicure and she's imbued with the powers of the Betas she killed, remember?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Derek. "In the meantime, I think it'll be beneficial for you if you just sit down and be quiet."

Peter grumbled, but didn't disobey. He sat down in one of the recliners and leaned back as he tried to distract himself from the boredom that threatened to kill him.

Just then, there was a pounding on the door and then it swung open to reveal Kali, wolfed out and deeply unhappy.

"Hello, Hales," she said. "Miss me? I'm here for what's mine."

In a moment of rash stupidity, Peter tried to make a run for it but Kali stopped him. She caught him by the throat and pinned him to the wall. Peter struggled to breath and he tried to break free of Kali's grasp. Her claws began to pierce his skin and she looked like she was going to kill him then and there.

"Kali, don't!" yelled Derek. "Peter's a scumbag that deserves death. No one's arguing that. But if you kill him like this, Artemis will never forgive you. Is that what you want?"

"But honestly, who's to say I don't have another resurrection plan up my sleeve even if you do kill me?" said Peter, faintly.

Kali growled as she ignored Derek and focused her glare on Peter. "I should end you for everything you've done to me and my sister," she hissed. "And believe me, I will. But today's your lucky day. I'm not here for you. Not today. But that will change _very _easily if you don't sit down and stay quiet until I leave. Do I make myself clear, Peter?"

"Crystal," said Peter. It came out as a squeak as he was turning blue and starting to become limp.

Kali dropped Peter onto the floor and then stepped over him as he gasped for breath. She ignored him as she approached Derek.

"If you're not here for Peter, then what do you want, Kali?" asked Derek. "What else could I possibly have that's yours?"

"Information regarding Artemis. Simply put, I want to know what the devil's going on with my sister," said Kali. Kali wasn't stupid. Not entirely. She knew there was something amiss with Artemis, she just didn't know what.

Derek feigned ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about." If Kali thought he was going to tell her about Artemis being the True Alpha, she was sorely mistaken.

Kali growled in anger. "DON'T LIE TO ME, DEREK!" she roared. "Do you really think I'm that blind? That night at the mall, Artemis said Deucalion was after _her _and her eyes turned red. Something is wrong with her and I have a right to know what the devil it is! She's my sister!"

"Then maybe you should start acting like it, Kali!" snarled Derek.

Kali looked hurt at this, but Derek didn't care. He was furious with Kali for all she'd done to his mate. He wanted her to hurt. She deserved it.

"You may say that Huntress is your sister, but you certainly don't treat her like that! You let her think you were dead, you attacked her and her pack, and you sided with Deucalion! Do you have any idea how much that hurt her? She just wanted you back in her life because she loves, but when you did come back, you shot her with wolfsbane. And you have the nerve to ask me to tell you her secrets? No. If you want answers, you can ask Artemis yourself. You'll get nothing out of me."

"Fine," said Kali, angrily. "I will."

And with that, Kali stormed out of the apartment.

Cora looked afraid. "Do you think Kali's going to hurt Artemis if Artemis doesn't tell her what she wants to know?"

Cora liked her brother's mate a great deal and had no desire to lose her.

Derek shook his head. "I doubt it. If I thought she did, I wouldn't have let her go. But if she so much as tries, she'll wish she hadn't."

Peter just rolled his eyes.

XXX

At school just before class started, Artemis spoke with Stiles regarding what had happened last night at the hospital.

"Did you find out anything?" asked Artemis.

"Not much and it's not good," said Stiles, grimly. "My dad said that the E.R. that died wasn't strangled like the others, but he did suffocate. They just don't know how."

Artemis didn't like the sound of that. "And Doctor Hilyard, the on-call doctor that went missing…has she been found yet?"

"No," said Stiles. "And that's another thing, how're we supposed to know who the third sacrifice is when there's at least twenty other doctors at Beacon Hills Memorial? It could be any one of them who's the last healer."

"I don't know," admitted Artemis. Her phone then went off. It was Dr. Deaton. "Hey, Doctor Deaton. What's up?"

"_Nothing good, I'm afraid. This is urgent_," said Dr. Deaton. He sounded frightened. "_I'm sorry, Artemis. I honestly thought I'd never have to burden you like this, but you're my only hope._"

Artemis frowned in worry and confusion. "Doc, what do you mean? What's—?" Her stomach knotted when she realized what he meant. Doctor Deaton was a healer of animals and werewolves. He was the next sacrifice. "You found a dead moth with damaged wings in your office, didn't you?"

"_I'm afraid so. And more moths are covering up my windows as we speak,_" he admitted. "_Artemis, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I'm going to be taken very soon here. I don't know where I'll be, but I need you and your pack to find me. But if you don't, just know that I don't blame you, Artemis, and you'll always be family to me._"

"Doctor Deaton? Doctor Deaton!"

But there was no reply as the line had gone dead. Artemis was left feeling shaken and scared by what she'd just heard.

"Artemis, what happened? What's wrong?" asked Stiles.

"My boss is going to be the next sacrifice," said Artemis. She pocketed her phone. "I have to get there before it's too late. Stiles, call your dad and tell him what's happening. I need to go."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis bolted from the school and drove to the vet's office as quickly as she could, praying she wasn't too late to save her boss.

But when she arrived at his office, she was met by Sheriff Stilinski and his deputy, Tara, who looked regretful.

"He's gone?" asked Artemis, as tears came to her eyes.

Sheriff Stilinski sadly nodded. "Your boss's car's still here, the back door's wide open and there're signs of a struggle in the back room. Deaton's been taken. I'm sorry, Artemis."

Artemis sank into one the chairs and buried her face in her hands. Her boss was gone. The man who'd been like a dad to her for years was gone. He'd been taken by the Darach and she didn't find him, he was going to be sacrificed. His life was in her hands.

She looked up when Sheriff Stilinski put his hand on her shoulder and saw that his deputy had gone.

"Artemis, I know this is a big shock for you, but we need to talk," he said. "I need you to tell me what you know."

"I don't know what I can tell you," she said. "I don't know where he is." _If I knew where he was, I'd be out there rescuing him right now! But I can't, because I don't have a clue. I don't even know the identity of his kidnapper. _

"Maybe not," admitted Sheriff Stilinski. "But you know a lot more than you're willing to tell me. I've noticed."

Artemis tensed. "Sheriff, I…"

"Artemis, don't lie to me," he interrupted. He seemed somewhat stern now. "For the past few months I've seen things in this town that make no sense. The Hale Fire case, Matt, your boyfriend Derek, your friends at school. And somehow no matter what happens around here, you and Stiles somehow to know more than you should and keep getting caught in the crossfire. Now, your boss's life is in danger. So, I'm going to ask you again. What do you know about what's happening?"

Artemis sighed. She knew he was right. He deserved to know. Things in Beacon Hills had gotten way out of control and the Sheriff couldn't be expected to do his job if he couldn't see the bigger picture. But then again, who was to say that knowing wouldn't get him hurt or worse?

"Look, Sheriff…" she said, finally. "You're right. I do have a secret and I'm willing to tell you what I know. But there's something you need to understand. It's not just my secret and if I didn't have proof, you'd probably throw me in the nuthouse."

Sheriff Stilinski folded his arms across his chest and looked concerned at this. "How bad could it be?"

"Very," she admitted. "Can I have five minutes to myself before I explain things? Please, just five minutes."

Artemis needed to clear this with Derek and Stiles before she said anything. Derek was her Alpha and her mate and this was Stiles' father. She respected both of them too much to just tell the Sheriff what she knew without talking to them first.

Sheriff Stilinski nodded and then Artemis went into the bathroom to make a few phone calls. She called Derek and Stiles and though neither one of them were thrilled with the idea of the Sherriff finding out their secret (which was turning out to be the worst-kept secret in the history of mankind) they both agreed that the Sheriff could no longer do what was necessary to protect Beacon Hills unless he knew what he was dealing with.

"Are you going to talk to me now?" asked Sheriff Stilinski, when she came out.

Artemis nodded. "Yes. But what I am about to show you and tell you cannot leave this room. Your deputies and the people who work for you cannot know. I need you to swear to me you'll tell no one."

"I swear it," said Sherriff Stilinski. "But what is it I'm not supposed to talk about?"

"You'll see. Just try and remember it's still me," said Artemis. She took a deep breath and wolfed out.

Sheriff Stilinski let out a yelp of panic and grabbed his gun, only to pull back when Artemis held up her hands and resumed her human form.

"Sheriff, it's me," she said. "It's Artemis Moon, your son's best friend. Just put the gun away. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

Sheriff Stilinski still looked frightened but nevertheless, he put his gun back into its holster.

"What are you?" he asked, hoarsely.

"I'm a werewolf," she confessed. "But I'm one of the good ones."

Sherriff Stilinski looked stunned for a moment and then he rubbed the space in between his eyes as he sat down. "Artemis, why don't you just start at the beginning and tell me everything you know?"

"Okay," said Artemis.

And that's what she did. She told him everything from the very beginning. She told him about the night she was bitten by Peter and the adventures that followed while trying to stop him. She told him about Derek's family being lycanthropes and the Argents being a family of hunters who'd hunted her kind for centuries. She told him the full story about the war between her kind and the hunters. She told him about building up her pack with Derek, Peter's resurrection, Lydia's newfound ability to seek out the supernatural and find the dead, the business with the kanima and Gerard and then she told him about the Alpha pack which included her not-dead sister, Deucalion and the new enemy of the Darach, who was her boss's kidnapper.

Save for a few times when he interrupted to ask a question or two, Sheriff Stilinski was very quiet throughout Artemis's explanation.

"…and that's pretty much where we are now," finished Artemis. "So, what do you think now, Sheriff?"

Sheriff Stilinski sighed. "Honestly? I think if you hadn't shown me your evidence, I _would _throw you in the nuthouse." But his tone was light and almost teasing.

Artemis smiled a little as she chuckled. "I know it's a lot to take in. But honestly, you're handling it pretty well."

"On the outside, maybe. On the inside, I'm…I'm not even sure there's a word for it," he admitted.

"Welcome to my world," said Artemis. Despite having lived this life of hers for months, there were times even now when her world freaked her out. "But you'll get used to it."

"I'm going to have to, aren't I?"

Artemis nodded and then there was the sound of knocking at the door. Miss Morrell was on the other side of it and she looked worried.

"That's your boss's sister. Does she know about…?"

"Most likely," said Artemis. And chances were that she knew something that could help Artemis find Dr. Draton. Artemis opened the door and allowed Miss Morrell inside. "Miss Morrell, what can we do for you?"

"Actually, it's what I can for you, Artemis," said Miss Morrell. She was ignoring the Sheriff. "I know you're going to try to find my brother, but you won't succeed if you don't know where to look."

"You know where he is?" asked Artemis.

Miss Morrell shook her head. "But you will find him if you follow the currents."

"What does that mean?" asked Sheriff Stilinski. "Currents like the currents of the river?"

"No," replied Miss Morrell. "Danny will know. Seek him out."

_Why would Danny know anything? Unless…_

Suddenly, it hit her. "Danny wasn't a sacrifice, but he was a target, wasn't he?"

Miss Morrell nodded. "Exactly," she said, as she left.

"That was interesting," said Sheriff Stilinski.

"As I said, you'll get used to it," said Artemis. "In the meantime, I need to get to school to explain my absence and then I've got to get to Danny. Not that I'm telling you how to do your job or anything, but you should get back to work. When Doctor Hilyard's body turns up, and I just know it will, talk to my mom. She'll have something figured out by now."

"Okay," said Sheriff Stilinski. "You be careful and let me know if anything comes up."

Artemis nodded and then she left.

XXX

When Artemis returned to the school, she notified Stiles and the others about what she'd found out and then she excused her absence for the last hour and faked illness to get out of spending the rest of the day in school. She couldn't spend the day in school when she needed to find her boss.

Artemis was about to leave when she heard sound of a melody she hadn't heard in years, which was odd because no one knew the song save for herself and Kali, who'd learned piano years ago, and no one was supposed to be in the music room today due there being no music classes today. But then she smelled her sister's scent and then she knew what was going on.

Kali was there and she wanted to talk.

Artemis didn't really have time to deal with Kali, but she knew what Kali was like when she didn't get what she wanted.

Knowing she had no other choice, Artemis went into the music room to speak with her sister. Kali was at the piano fiddling with the metronome.

"About time you showed up. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about this," said Kali, as she finished playing the melody.

"How could I forget?" asked Artemis. "You wrote that song for me just before you left. It's a bit hard to forget, wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed," murmured Kali, as she rose up from the piano bench. She leaned against the piano and fiddled with her wedding ring.

Artemis sighed again as she placed her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Ethan told me about Ennis. I'm so sorry, Kali."

"So am I," said Kali, softly. "But I didn't come here for sympathy."

"Then what did you come here for?" asked Artemis. "Revenge on Peter?"

"Not today, but he will get what's coming to him," said Kali, as she flexed her claws. "I want to know what the devil is going on with you, Artemis. Last time I checked, Deucalion was here for your mate, not you, and a Beta's eyes don't glow red like an Alpha's. So, what the heck is going on?"

Artemis couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You seriously don't know?" How could Kali not know? Kali was working for Deucalion for goodness's sake! But then again, Kali could sometimes be an idiot when it came to trusting people and Deucalion did seem to be the secretive type, so maybe Kali truly didn't know.

"Know what?" demanded Kali.

Artemis sighed in exasperation. If Kali didn't know, then maybe there was no point in telling her. What difference was it going to make at this point when it was clear where Kali's loyalties lay? Besides, shouldn't Deucalion's true motives have been obvious? And to think, Artemis thought Kali was a clever girl. But it didn't matter. Artemis had more pressing issues to deal with than her sister's loyalties.

"You know what; I don't have time for this. My boss, Doctor Deaton, is missing and if I don't find him soon, he's going to be sacrificed. So, I'll see you later," said Artemis. She had no time to deal with Kali at the moment.

Artemis tried to leave, but Kali stopped her.

"Artemis, I don't like being lied to or left in the dark," said Kali. "Tell me what the devil's going on or so help me, I'll—"

"You'll what?" interrupted Artemis, furiously. "What're you going to do if I don't tell you, Kali? Kill those I love just like you killed your own pack after you abandoned me?"

Kali's face darkened with anger. "Don't go there. Don't you dare! You have no idea what I went through when I left that night!"

"You're right, I don't," admitted Artemis. She didn't know anything. Her sister, the one she looked up to, the one who vanished, she never came back at all. Artemis didn't know the woman standing before her. "I don't know what happened when you left, I don't know what made you decide to become like Deucalion, and I sure as heck don't know you now! So, considering all that, why the heck would I trust you with my secrets, Kali? You said it yourself, you chose Deucalion's side! And you've done nothing but hurt me and betray me since you came back. So, I repeat, why should I trust you?"

Artemis would always love her sister and she wanted to believe Kali had regrets about their past, but Artemis had to draw the line somewhere. Kali needed to prove Artemis could trust her before she learned about Deucalion's true motives and about Artemis being the True Alpha.

Kali was quiet for a moment and for the briefest of moments, there was a glitter of tears in her eyes, but it vanished quickly.

"Because there are things I regret about our past and things you don't know about," she said, quietly. "And because if it's really you that Deucalion's after, he's a dead man. I know that I've hurt you, and I'm sorry for that, but believe me when I say that I'd rather die than see you dead."

Artemis was quiet as she felt tears come to her eyes. Kali wasn't lying. Artemis could tell. But could she really trust Kali? Regardless of any regret Kali felt about hurting Artemis, Kali had still hurt Artemis's pack mates. Even if Kali was just following Deucalion's orders, she couldn't just ignore that.

"Arty, please," whispered Kali, as she brushed a lock of Artemis's hair out of her face. "If Deucalion's after you, I need to know. Is he after you or not?"

Artemis sighed yet again. "He is," she confessed. She didn't know why she was telling Kali this, but it was spilling out. "He probably wants me dead or in his pack, I'm not sure which at the moment, but either one would probably suit him."

"Why?"

"Every hundred years or so, one Beta can rise to become an Alpha by force of will and strength of character rather than having to steal it. It's called the True Alpha," said Artemis. "A few months ago, I found out that I'm the True Alpha, or at least, I have the potential to become one. That's why my eyes turned red at the mall. I haven't fully ascended yet, but it will happen. Deucalion knows this and that's why he's here. And there's something else. Ennis didn't die because of Peter, okay? I talked to my boss. Ennis was going to make it, but Deucalion killed him. He used you, Kali. I'm sorry, but it's true."

The expression Kali's face was a mixture of shock and rage. "Deucalion's a dead man," she snarled, as her eyes flashed bright red. Deucalion had lied to Kali, used her, killed her mate and was threatening her sister. He was going to die at Kali's hand. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"Will you be quiet?" hissed Artemis, as she placed a hand on her sister's mouth. If Kali was any louder, they'd have half the school in there and Artemis didn't have time to explain why Kali wasn't dead. "Look, we'll deal with Deucalion later. Right now, we need to find Doctor Deaton before the Darach kills him. Are you with me?"

Artemis knew that the pack wasn't going to trust Kali and it would be difficult to work with her, but if they had Kali on their side, they would have a better chance of taking down the Darach and Deucalion.

Kali nodded. "I'm in."

XXX

A few hours later, an emergency meeting at Derek's place was called.

The Betas of the wolf pack weren't entirely happy when they found out Kali was going to be working with them after what she'd done while under Deucalion's command, but no one was arguing with Artemis and they couldn't deny that having another Alpha on their side was going to be helpful.

Plus, there was no time _to _argue as the situation had gotten worse. Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa had found the missing on-call doctor's body and the markings on both her body and the E.R. doctor's suggested that they'd been hung up from the ceiling as soon as they'd lost the strength to pull themselves up for a breath of air, they'd died. The same fate was going to befall Dr. Deaton if he wasn't found soon.

Alison and Isaac had discovered that Chris was somehow tracking the Darach's past and possibly future movement. There were markings on a map in his study that marked where the sacrifices had been taken and where they'd been found. But what was more worrying was that there was fifteen markings on the map, yet only eight sacrifices so far. That left at least seven other locations to check and they didn't have that kind of time.

But fortunately, Stiles had found out why Danny had been targeted. He'd been doing a project for Harris's physics class on telluric currents.

"I don't get it. What does Danny's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" asked Erica, in confusion.

"It follows with what Miss Morrell said," explained Artemis. "'_Follow the currents._'"

"And why would she know anything?" asked Jackson.

"Because Morrell is Deucalion's emissary," said Kali. "Trust me, she knows."

No one questioned Kali as no one wanted to risk her temper.

"It's not just homework, okay? It's a project on geomagnetic fields," said Stiles. "They flow through the earth and can even be affected by lunar phases. Now, look at this. This is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal."

"'_Danny, I strongly advise you to choose another subject. The ideas here, while thoughtful and innovative, border on pseudo-science. They are not suitable for class_,'" read Derek. "So, Harris wasn't just a sacrifice. He was killed because he also knew too much. He was a loose end, just like Danny."

"And loose ends have to be tied up," said Alison, grimly.

"Exactly. Now, check this out," said Stiles. "Alison's dad wasn't the only with a map. Danny had one too." He quickly unfolded Danny's map onto the table. "Danny marked all the telluric currents. Now, the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it's actually a beacon. You wouldn't believe how much energy flows through the earth around this town."

Artemis frowned. "Wait a second…Stiles, look. They match." Danny's markings and Chris's both matched exactly. "Okay, okay, okay. So, there're three points, right? Where they were taken and where the body was found."

"Which is on the telluric current," said Lydia.

"And it also means that they were sacrificed somewhere else," said Derek. He grabbed the marker Artemis was holding. "There are four more sacrifices, right? Deaton is going to be the last of the healers if we don't find him, which means he's got to be somewhere in between and that's…here." Derek marked the bank where Cora, Boyd and Erica had been held prisoner.

"Deaton's in the vault," said Cora, tearfully. "He's in the _same vault!_"

This unsettled everyone as the mere idea of Deaton being trapped in the same vault as the three young Betas had been, was just too much.

"Let's go. We don't have much time," said Artemis.

And with that, they all headed to the bank, praying they weren't too late.

XXX

Artemis was the first to arrive at the bank as she'd broken a few speeding laws on her bike in order to get there. She ran straight into the bank's vault and was horrified by what she saw. Dr. Deaton was strung up from the ceiling by his wrists. He was out cold, looked injured and judging from the sound of his breathing and heartbeat, he couldn't last much longer.

Artemis ran straight for him, intending to cut the rope and catch him in her arms, only be literally knocked off her feet by a barrier. She landed painfully on the floor and it was then that she noticed the barrier of mountain ash surrounding him. The Darach had known Artemis wound find Dr. Deaton and had been prepared for her.

Despite knowing the chances of her actually penetrating the barrier were slim, Artemis didn't care. She had to save him no matter what it took.

Artemis quickly rose up, placed her hands on the force-field that the mountain ash created and began pushing. Despite the pain she felt and the scream that emitted from her throat, Artemis summoned up all her strength and will and pushed as hard as she could to break the barrier. As she did so, she could feel the surge of power that had come to her at the mall and she knew she was getting closer to fulfilling her destiny. Judging from the look in Deaton's eyes, for he had awoken at the sound of her cries, he could tell as well.

But it wasn't enough and apparently, it wasn't time yet. Artemis could break through and she landed in the arms of Kali, who'd just arrived with the others.

"Why don't you let me give it a shot?"

Everyone looked up to see Sheriff Stilinski in the vault with them. He quickly took out his gun and fired at the ropes that held Dr. Deaton in the air. Dr. Deaton fell and then Alison broke the mountain ash barrier.

Artemis quickly ran over to Dr. Deaton's side and while being mindful of his injuries, she held him in a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're okay, but please don't ever scare me like that again. I really don't want to lose family," Dr. Deaton meant a great deal to Artemis. He was more than just her boss and mentor, he was more of a dad to her than her biological father could ever hope to be and she never wanted to lose him.

Dr. Deaton smiled as he returned the embrace. "I promise to try," he said. He pulled back and wiped away the tears from Artemis's cheeks that had fallen. "I'm going to be okay, Artemis, I promise."

Artemis smiled through her tears and hugged him again before she helped him sit up against the wall of the vault.

"I called the paramedics. They're on their way," said Sheriff Stilinski. "We'll let you two have a minute alone."

"Thank you," said Dr. Deaton, gratefully. He gave them all a look of immense gratitude. "Thank all of you for finding me."

"You're Welcome," said Derek, giving him a smile. He'd come to like and appreciate Dr. Deaton a great deal over the past few months.

"Kali," said Dr. Deaton.

Kali stopped in her tracks and looked at Dr. Deaton. "Yes?"

"I'm glad you're home," he said. And by that, he meant that he was glad she'd come to her senses and left Deucalion's side.

Kali just smiled and didn't reply as she left with the others.

Once they were alone, Dr. Deaton spoke to Artemis. "Your eyes, they were red again. Bright red. You almost became the True Alpha." He sounded both fearful and excited.

"I know. I could feel it happening," she admitted. "But I still don't understand why _I'm _the True Alpha." What was so special about Artemis that fate would choose her to become the True Alpha? "I've never sought out power or wanted it. So, why me?"

"Because one destined for true greatness and leadership doesn't seek it," he explained. "From the moment I knew you were bitten, I believed it would be you, Artemis. Your heart is pure and you've never taken a life, no matter what the cost was. This is who you were meant to become. This is the person I always believed you could be."

_And you're not the only one_. Deucalion believed it too. "When will it be complete? When will I be the True Alpha?" asked Artemis. She wasn't going to fight it and nor was she going to be afraid of it anymore, but it would be helpful if she knew when the ascension from Beta to Alpha would be complete.

"When you're ready," said Dr. Deaton. "When you truly believe you're ready, you'll become the True Alpha. Do you understand?"

Artemis nodded and then the paramedics came to take her boss to the hospital.


	8. Visionary

**Visionary **

It had been three days since the Darach had almost killed Dr. Deaton and the pack had rescued him. Three days since Kali's defection from Deucalion's side to that of her sister's.

Three days since all of the above had occurred and two days since anyone had seen hide or hair of Derek. And quite frankly, his pack and friends were becoming increasingly worried about him with every passing moment that he remained absent.

"I don't like this," said Isaac.

Isaac, Stiles and the other members of the wolf pack were gathered at Derek's apartment trying to find out what was going on with their Alpha or at least find out where he was. Well, everyone except for Peter. He was at his apartment preparing for his next date with Jennifer.

"You and me both," said Stiles. He absolutely hated not knowing things. It made him feel vulnerable. And after what had happened over the last few weeks, it was understandable that a missing pack member would be worrisome.

"Stiles, did you ask Artemis if she knows where Derek is?" asked Erica.

"Of course, I did. Artemis said that Derek was fine and would be back soon, but that was all she was going to say because it's Derek's business and not her secret to tell," said Stiles. "She wouldn't budge, no matter what I offered her."

"Did you really expect her to?" asked Cora. "Artemis and Derek share the strongest bond between mates I've ever seen in my life. And even so, it's in our nature not to reveal the secrets of our mates without their permission."

"So I gathered," muttered Stiles.

"I don't suppose you know what he's up to, Cora?" asked Boyd.

Cora shook her head. "Derek never told me why he always disappears this time of year. All I know is, whatever his reasons, he's hurting because of them. And if he's taken Artemis into his confidence about it, then that's a sign that he's healing and we should let him be." She was worried about her brother, but she knew better than to invade Derek's privacy.

"She may have a point," said Jackson. "Plus, do any of you really want to risk Derek's temper?" Having been on the receiving end of it before, Jackson had no wish to do so again.

"No, but Derek's still our Alpha. Deucalion's still out there and who's to say he won't take his anger over Kali's defection out on Derek once he figures out that's what she's doing instead of spying on us?" pointed out Isaac. "I'm really worried about him."

Suddenly, the door opened. "You don't need to worry, I'm right here and I'm fine."

Derek was completely drenched from the rainstorm that was going on outside. He also looked weary and sad.

"Hey. Where've you been?" asked Isaac.

"Out," said Derek, shortly. "I don't want to talk about it."

He tried to go take a shower and change, but Cora came in between him and the door. She gave her brother a look of concern.

"Derek, please. Whatever's happening to you, you don't have to go through it alone," she murmured. "If it was one of us, wouldn't you want to help?"

Derek sighed and for a moment, he didn't reply as he was silently considering what he was going to say and do next.

"Give me half an hour," he said.

No one argued with this.

Half an hour later after a hot shower and a change of clothes, Derek emerged from the bathroom looking refreshed and less unhappy as he sat down in the living room.

"You all want to know where I've been?" he asked. When they all nodded, he went on. "I was visiting an old friend who passed away nine years ago."

Everyone looked taken aback and regretful at this.

"Oh, jeez. Derek, I'm sorry…" began Isaac.

"It's okay," interrupted Derek. He still looked sad, but there was no hint of anger in his eyes at all. "I don't mind telling you. But this ties into another story. I haven't always been the way I am now. Once, I was like any other guy, minus the lycanthropy. I'm sure some of you remember that before I became an Alpha, my eyes were blue. Do any of you know why some werewolves' eyes are blue instead of gold?"

No one did, not even Cora.

"I just assumed it was a genetic thing," admitted Stiles. "I figured because you were born a werewolf, that's why your eyes were blue instead of gold like Artemis's."

Derek shook his head. "That's not it. My eyes used to be gold. To understand why my eyes change and why I disappear every year, you need to know the whole story. Like any, this starts with the one thing that usually changes a man."

"A woman," guessed Jackson.

"Exactly," said Derek. "Nine years ago, before I met Kate or Huntress, there was another girl in my life."

"Was she your first love?" asked Erica.

A small smile crossed Derek's face as he shook his head. "No. Huntress is my one and only true love. The relationship I had with this wasn't a romantic one, but we still cared about each other."

"What was she like?" asked Boyd.

"She was a lot like Huntress," admitted Derek. "Beautiful, talented, independent…"

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Derek's tale…**_

_Derek and his friends were playing basketball in the hallway of their school._

_They knew they were only supposed to be playing basketball in the gym or outside in the school courtyard, but like any young jocks, they were all idiots and thought that they ruled the school and could do as they pleased._

"_Hey!" said a voice. "Do you guys mind?"_

_Derek turned around to see a young lady standing behind him looking irritated. He didn't know her name, but he knew her reputation. His friends called her "the Cello Girl," because playing the cello seemed to be all she ever did besides study. She was something of a child prodigy when it came to the cello. She played her cello in concerts for many charity fundraisers and was also something of a loner._

_Right now, she was glaring at the jocks in the hall. "I'm trying to practice."_

_Derek couldn't help but smirk. "How do you know we're not practicing too?"_

"_Well, maybe because I was practicing my cello in the music room and I'm pretty sure that basketball practice takes place in the gym," she snapped. "So, would you mind doing that in the gym or outside before I lose my temper and get you guys in trouble for harassing me?"_

_Derek's friends laughed at this. They weren't at all intimidated by the girl._

"_No offense, but I doubt anyone's going to listen when the only teacher left here at this hour is our coach," said Derek. He had a fair point as their coach was practically obsessed with the game and refused to hear a word against his students. "Besides, I'm pretty sure basketball practice takes place anywhere that you've got a basketball."_

_The girl just rolled her eyes in anger and annoyance as she walked away._

_Feeling a little bad, Derek approached her. "Wait, hold on. Hold on. I'll make you a deal. If you manage to take the ball away from me, we'll go somewhere else. Deal?"_

"_Deal," she said._

_Derek tried every basketball move he'd been taught, but somehow the girl took the ball away from him each and every time as she was faster than she looked. But that was partially because Derek wasn't tapping into his werewolf reflexes to keep the ball out of her grasp. When she tossed him back the ball after taking it away for the sixth time, she started to leave again._

"_I win, you lose. Now, beat it," she said._

_Derek's friends couldn't believe what they'd just seen and were staring with their jaws dropped and their eyes wide, but no one said a word as they left the hallway._

_Normally, Derek would've joined them, but not now. He was fascinated with the Cello Girl and ended up following her into the music room where she resumed her practice. When she saw him standing in the doorway, she stopped practicing her cello and glared at him._

"_Come back for a rematch?" she asked._

"_No. You won fair and square," said Derek. He put down the basketball and held up his hands, as if he was offering a truce. "I just wanted to know your name."_

_She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. "Why would I tell you that?"_

"_Maybe because I asked nicely and I'm just trying to be friendly," said Derek. _

_She snorted. "Or maybe you're just fascinated by me because I'm the only girl who's not fawning all over you."_

_Derek looked offended. "That's not true."_

"_Well, you have yet to prove me wrong," she said. _

"_Give me a chance and I will," said Derek. "How about this, you tell me your name and I'll leave you alone for the rest of the day. I promise."_

_Realizing he wasn't going to leave her alone otherwise, she sighed and nodded. "Fine. Play just one instrument in this room, anything at all, and I'll tell you my name. But if you can't, then you leave anyway. Deal?"_

"_Deal," said Derek. He walked over to the music room's supply of instruments and looked them over. He couldn't actually play anything as he wasn't an instrument playing kind of guy, but fortunately, luck was in his favor. He found a triangle and played it for her._

_Instead of scowling, she chuckled and actually smiled. "Okay, okay. You win. My name is Paige Krasikeva." _

"_Nice name," he replied. "My name's—"_

"_I know who you are," she interrupted. "You're Derek Hale. Now, would you please leave so I can practice in peace?"_

_Derek did as she asked. He left the music room but he couldn't get Paige out of his head. Was this the beginning of a friendship or something more?_

XXX

Kali sat in her old bedroom of her old house.

After she'd helped rescue Deaton, Kali had left Deucalion and rejoined her family. She had no regrets over leaving him as he'd lied to her and used her one time too many. When she'd returned to her old home with Artemis, Melissa had been there to greet them. Melissa didn't agree with the lifestyle Kali had chosen, but she put that away for the time being as she was just happy to have her daughter back.

The three Moon women had agreed that Agent Moon, Melissa's ex-husband and Artemis and Kali's father, wasn't going to be informed of Kali's return. He had given up his legal rights and paternal rights to them a long time ago and he was the one who'd driven Kali into the world of lycanthropes, so he had no right to know anything. If he paid a visit to Beacon Hills, then they'd deal with him, but not before.

But that was the least of Kali's concerns. When Kali had left Deucalion, she'd told him she pretending to ally with her sister in hopes of learning more of Artemis's secrets and work towards defeating Artemis's pack. Deucalion had accepted this as one of the benefits of being a good liar was being able to keep your heartbeat steady. But Kali secretly wondered if he'd known she was lying and had let her go only to lure her into a false sense of security and punish her later. Deucalion always had a reason behind every single one of his actions.

"Hey," said Artemis, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"

Kali nodded. "I'm fine."

Artemis raised a skeptical eyebrow, but didn't question Kali as she joined her sister on the bed. Since Kali's defection, the two sisters were slowly reconnecting and regaining each other's trust. It was a work in progress, but they were well on their way to becoming as close as they once were.

"Kali, I know you don't want to talk about him, but I need to know about Deucalion and Gerard," said Artemis. "Whatever happened between the two of them could help us beat Deucalion."

"Are you sure about that? Because I'm not, Artemis," admitted Kali. "Deucalion's not like others of our kind. He's more dangerous than even I am. He may have lost his eyes, but he's not always blind."

"Which is all the more reason for you to tell me what you know," said Artemis. "Kali, the Darach sacrificed another healer right after we saved Deaton. That's nine sacrifices. Nine lives lost to strength the Darach for a battle it undoubtedly intends to enact against the Alphas, including you and Deucalion. Who's to say it won't go after more lives once it's done with Deucalion? Please, tell me."

Kali sighed. She knew Artemis was right, but she didn't want to talk about her past. Artemis didn't even know what had happened after Kali left that night ten years ago because Kali didn't want her to know. But what choice was there at this point?

"Okay," said Kali. "I'll tell you. But keep in mind that a lot of this was told to me by Deucalion. There're some points in this where I can't be certain he told me the truth."

"He still would've been more honest than Gerard if I went to him," said Artemis. She had considered talking to Gerard for information, but had decided against it as the man was a heartless, manipulative liar. "Just tell me what you know."

Kali took a deep breath and began. "It was nine years ago. Back then, I was just a Beta and my Alpha was a woman called Luna. You would've hated her if you'd known her…"

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Kali's tale…**_

_The night in Beacon Hills was dark and chilly as Kali followed her Alpha and the rest of her pack into an abandoned distillery just outside of town. A summoning had been called between the strongest of the Alphas—Luna, Ennis, and Deucalion. _

_Ennis was leading it the charge. He was in a right foul mood as he was both furious and his heart was aching with grief. He pointed to a piece of knotted rope that was hanging from the ceiling and smelled of blood, a werewolf's blood._

"_There? You see it?" said Ennis, as he stood in front of the Alphas and their packs. "They dragged him here with an arrow in his throat! They hung him and they cut him in half. They killed him! They killed one of ours!"_

_Luna gave him a cold look. "One of yours," she corrected. "Why should I care about what happens to one of your Betas?"_

"_Because the hunters don't discern among packs, especially the Argents," said Kali. She wasn't just speaking for her mate; she was speaking for them all. "If they're out for blood, then they won't care whose pack the Beta belonged to. They'll kill anyone who shifts during the full moon."_

"_Kali's right," said Deucalion. "The Argents don't discern among packs, but they do discern motive. Which begs the question of why they killed him."_

_Marco, one of Decualion's Betas, stepped forward and glared at Ennis. "They killed him because Ennis's young; naïve Beta killed two of the hunters. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that is what happened, isn't it, Ennis?" _

"_On accident," growled Ennis. He didn't like admitting the hunters' killing of his Beta was justified in its own way. "It was his first full moon. He got loose and lost control, that's all. What does it matter? They still murdered him!"_

"_Only it wasn't really murder, was it?" said Luna. "It was payback. Fair and simple."_

_Ennis's eyes glowed red and for a moment, it looked like he was going to attack Luna, but then a howling distracted them and they were met by their leader._

XXX

Derek paused in his story telling to get himself a drink.

"Wait, so if Paige hated you, how did you become friends?" asked Cora.

"We were young. Young people are often like that. One minute, you can't stand each other and the next, you're best friends," said Derek. "Paige and I were no different."

"Ain't that the truth," said Stiles. He'd seen it plenty of times in the chick-flicks Artemis made him watch on their movie nights. "So, go on. What happened next?"

"Well, like I said, after we got better acquainted, we became friends. I became less of the little idiot I was and she came out of her shell. Like any best friends, Paige and I had a spot we liked to hang out at. Our favorite place was this abandoned distillery just outside of town. One night, Paige called and asked me to take her there. She had something to tell me."

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Derek's tale…**_

_Derek and Paige eagerly ran through the woods and hills as they came upon their favorite meeting spot, the distillery. _

_The two of them had become best friends over the past few weeks and they loved spending time together. Sometimes Derek would do his homework while listening to her play the cello and other times they'd get up to regular teenager stuff and other times they just hung out at the distillery where no one could bother them._

_They ran into the distillery and Derek lifted Paige into his arms as he spun her around. It made her smile and laugh, but then she looked solemn when he put her down._

"_What's with the sad face?" asked Derek, concerned._

"_Derek, there's something I need to tell you," said Paige. She sounded sad and her heart was beating with fear._

"_What is it? What's wrong? You can tell me," said Derek, gently. "Paige…"_

_Paige took a deep breath and tears glittered in her eyes as she said, "Derek, I'm dying."_

_Derek's heart skipped a beat as his breath caught in his throat. Dying? His best friend was dying? No. It had to be a mistake. There was no way Paige was dying. But even as Derek thought about it, he realized it was true. Paige would talk about the future like it didn't exist for her and she'd been smelling of sickness for quite some time._

"_What is it?" he finally choked out._

"_It's cancer," she confessed. "I was diagnosed two years ago, and I stopped responding to my treatments. I've got six months left at most."_

_Derek swallowed painfully. "Why didn't you tell me?" That was what hurt the most. Paige's lack of trust._

"_I wanted to, Derek. But I didn't know how," said Paige, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I was trying to accept it and get along for as long as I could. But then you happened and suddenly, I had someone in my life who cared about me just for me, not just because I'm some child prodigy. I was scared of losing you. But I can't lie to you anymore, even if it means you're going to leave me."_

_Derek vehemently shook his head as he cupped Paige's face in his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. _

"_That's never going to happen," he swore. "I'm not going to leave you, Paige. You're my best friend and I'm going to be right by your side for all of this, I promise."_

_Paige's only response was to tightly embrace Derek as they both cried._

XXX

Artemis held up a hand to pause her sister's story. "Wait, so you're telling me that you were back in town just a year after you left? Why on earth didn't you just come home?"

"You've no idea how much I wanted to," admitted Kali. "But not all of us are capable of defying and rejecting our sires, like you did, Artemis. Luna was mine and she had quite a great deal of control over her Betas, especially me. Luna wanted us to sever all ties with our human lives. She forbade me from going back to you and Mom and I had no choice but to obey her. My loyalty and obedience to her was the price I had to pay for my life."

Artemis frowned. "What do you mean?" Why would Kali owe Luna her life?

"I'll tell that story another day," said Kali. "Anyway, afterwards when I became what I am, I didn't see how I could ever return, not without revealing what I was and sacrificing my relationship with Ennis. And as time went by, I convinced myself that you were better off without me."

"How could you think that?" demanded Artemis, hurt.

"Shame and fear are very persuasive," said Kali. "Plus, you really think Deucalion would have let me go so soon after joining him?"

Artemis sighed and shook her head. "No," she admitted. But that didn't erase the hurt that she felt. "I'm sorry. Continue. What happened next?"

"Like I said, we were in Beacon Hills because of what happened to Ennis's Beta. And in times of struggle, we turn to our leader for advice and guidance. At the time, there was an exceptionally powerful Alpha here in town that we respected and admired. She had a gift that was rare among our kind. She could fully shape-shift into a wolf."

"Who was she?" asked Artemis, curiously.

Kali smiled. "You've met her. Her name was Talia Hale. Derek's mother."

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Kali's tale…**_

_Kali watched with silent anxiety as Ennis, Luna and Talia debated among themselves what was to be done over the Argents killing Ennis's Beta. It didn't appear to be going well and Kali feared the consequences for her husband and mate if blood was spilled between the three Alphas or between werewolves and the hunters._

"…_we're not the only people to adhere to rituals thousands of years old," said Talia._

"_Which is no excuse for not evolving," said Deucalion._

_Ennis scoffed. "Evolving? They killed him in cold blood! How is that evolving? This is useless debate! I'm done with it!"_

"_Ennis, don't!" said Deucalion, warningly as Ennis punched wall in anger. Ever the more peaceful of the Alphas, he tried to calm the situation. "Don't make us part of an historical cliché. With two such powers, it never ends with an eye for an eye. A skirmish becomes a war. A murder becomes a massacre. And we end up no better than our enemies."_

_But Ennis wasn't listening. He plunged his claws into the wall and made a spiral, their symbol for revenge. It was a warning to the hunters of what was to come._

_When the meeting was over, Kali and Ennis were given a few minutes peace to themselves. Ennis wrapped Kali in his arms and breathed in her scent as she rubbed his back._

"_I'm so sorry," murmured Kali. "I know what Liam meant to you."_

"_He was a homeless orphan when I sired him and brought him into the pack. He was just seventeen," said Ennis, sorrowfully. "I swore I'd protect him and I failed."_

"_It's not your fault," said Kali, as she pulled away. She gently caressed his face. "The Argents are to blame, not you. You gave Liam a home and a family, which is all he ever wanted. We'll figure this out, together."_

_Ennis smiled as he kissed her. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"_

"_You saved my life," replied Kali. If Ennis hadn't been there when Kali had been attacked the night she'd left her home, she would've died. "And speaking of which, did you look in on my family like I asked?" Luna had forbidden Kali from going near her blood-kin or she would've done it herself. _

_Ennis nodded. "Your father's gone, but your mother and sister still reside in town. They miss you, but they're surviving."_

_Kali looked pleased to hear this. "Good." She kissed him with an intense passion and then pulled away when she heard her Alpha's howling. "I have to go. But I'll see you soon. I love you, Ennis."_

"_I love you too," said Ennis. _

XXX

Kali blew on her cup of steaming hot chocolate before sipping it.

Melissa had been kind enough to bring her daughters some refreshments of hot cocoa and sandwiches while Kali went on with her story.

"In all the time we knew each other, I never saw Ennis so distraught and vengeful as he was that night," said Kali. "Losing Liam tore him apart. Even before he died, Ennis still grieved for him. Not that I could blame him. Losing a member of your pack isn't like losing family. It's like losing a limb. Part of you dies with the one you lost."

"I know," said Artemis. She'd not only seen Derek grieve over his family, but there were times when she felt it through their link. She wouldn't wish that kind of grief on anyone, not even Peter. "Did he at least get to bury Liam?"

Kali shook her head. "No. Because of the way Liam died, it looked like a human crime. It became a homicide investigation. Not to mention, no matter how close they were, Liam and Ennis weren't related by blood and nor was Ennis his legal guardian. The authorities would only release Liam's body to family."

Artemis looked sad as she sighed. _Poor Ennis. _Despite what Ennis had done, Artemis couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her sister's former deceased mate. "I still can't believe that Deucalion was so keen towards peace back then. Considering how he is now, it seems almost impossible."

"Believe it. You push someone hard enough, they snap," said Kali. "Gerard did that to Deucalion. And even now, Gerard has no remorse about it."

"Gerard never regrets anything. He's insane," said Artemis. "So, go on. What happened next for the packs?"

"What usually does for our kind—trouble," said Kali, grimly.

XXX

Cora frowned at her brother.

Nearly everyone was in tears when Derek told them about Paige's terminal cancer and they felt sorry for him, but that still left quite a few questions left unanswered.

"I don't get it. If Paige was dying of cancer, why didn't you just ask Mom to turn her?" asked Cora. "Paige could've been cured."

Derek sighed. "Believe me, I wanted to turn her. There wasn't a day that went by when I didn't think about it. But I knew that turning her couldn't happen. Mom never would've turned an innocent girl unless she was someone's mate, and even so it would've raised too many questions. Also, I knew that Paige would never want this life."

"So, what did you do, then?" asked Erica.

"I did what I promised. I stayed with her," said Derek. "And I also helped her to live as much as possible."

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Derek's tale…**_

_Derek stood in the doorway of the music room as he listened to Paige play the cello._

_Time had passed since Paige's confession and since then, they'd spent every possible moment together, trying to make their remaining time beautiful and memorable. Derek had helped Paige cross things off her list of things she wanted to do before she died and she was grateful for it. There were still things she wanted to, but he would make sure she got them all done._

_Paige ceased playing the cello and looked at him. Somehow, she always knew when he was there, even when he didn't think she knew. _

"_What're you staring at?" she asked._

"_I'm not staring. I'm listening," said Derek, as he sat down beside her. "That was beautiful."_

_Paige smiled at him. "Thanks." She put away her bow and cello before looking him rather hesitantly. "Derek, can I ask you a favor?"_

_Derek nodded. "Sure, anything." There was nothing he would deny her at this point._

"_When it happens…" she began. They both knew what 'it' was. It was her death. "Can you be there, holding me in your arms? Please."_

"_Of course," said Derek. He had to fight to keep his voice clear and steady as his throat was choking up and he felt tears stinging his eyes. "I'll hold you right now if you want. Do you?"_

_Paige nodded and tears glimmered in her eyes as she slid into his lap and wrapped her arms around him. Derek returned the embrace as he rocked her and rubbed her back._

_A few days later during the lunch hour, Derek was waiting for Paige at their usual table when his Uncle Peter appeared and sat down across from him._

"_What're you doing here?" asked Derek._

"_I'm looking out for my favorite nephew," said Peter, smiling. "And making sure no one's got a crossbow aimed at you. I assume Laura told you about what happened to Ennis's Beta? There are packs in town and more Alphas than I've ever seen in one place."_

"_I'm aware of what happened, yes," said Derek, through gritted teeth. He didn't want to talk about the problems with the hunters or the Alphas that were currently in town. "Either cut to chase and tell me why you're really here or I'll get you banned from the grounds."_

"_Someone's cranky this morning," said Peter. "And FYI, no one's going to ban me when I look this good. But if you must know, I'm concerned about you, just like the rest of your family. You've been spending so much time with that Paige girl, your family barely sees you anymore."_

_Derek snorted. He didn't believe his uncle for a minute. "Nice try. But my mom's already aware of what's going on and she doesn't mind how much time I spend with Paige. And you know what; it's really none of your business." There were times when Peter was his best friend and other times when Derek just wanted to deck him one. This time was one of the latter._

"_I beg to differ," said Peter. "But if it really bothers you that much, just answer a couple of questions for me and then I'll leave you two alone."_

_Derek sighed in exasperation. "Fine. What do you want to know?"_

"_Does she know what you are and is she your mate?" asked Peter._

_Derek scowled. Of course, those would be the questions Peter asked. "No, she doesn't know and no, she's not my mate. She's my best friend, that's all. Are we done now?"_

"_For now," said Peter, as he rose up. "But if I were you, I'd turn her."_

"_And why would I do that?" demanded Derek._

"_Because she's dying, Derek. I can smell it on her from a mile away," said Peter. "If she's not turned into one of us and soon, how much longer could you possibly have with her? If she turns, she'll never get sick again. The bite is a gift. You might want to consider giving it to her."_

_Derek didn't reply as Peter departed. He'd be lying if he said he didn't consider turning Paige to save her life, but he knew it couldn't happen. Talia probably wouldn't agree and even if she did, Derek just knew that the life of a lycanthrope wasn't one that Paige wanted._

XXX

Kali paused in her story telling. She'd just finished explaining about the Nemeton, a sacred meeting place for druids. It was said that the druids would pick a large, older tree in a grove and mark it with a five-fold knot that represented the center of the world and it was believed that any damaged caused to the tree brought about problems to the surrounding villages, and if blood was sacrificed to the tree, power would granted.

"So, how do you know so much about druids and Celtic symbols?" asked Artemis.

"Luna and Ennis told me all about it. The older wolves had a relationship with the druids, people like Deaton," said Kali. "They were our emissaries, our advisors. They're like our ambassadors to the hunters. Supposedly, they help us retain our humanity."

"And Deaton was the emissary of the Hales," guessed Artemis.

Kali nodded. "Do you know the myth of Lycaon?"

Artemis's brow wrinkled as she tried to recall the Greek legends she'd learned in school. "He was the first werewolf and it's where we get the term, 'lycanthropy.'"

"Correct. But there's more to it," said Kali. She took one of her old books off the shelf and flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. "According to myth, some Greek citizens believed they owed their lives more to Prometheus the Titan, rather than to the Gods of Olympus. Some followers even took names to honor the Titans instead of the gods."

"People like Deucalion," guessed Artemis. She had had a feeling this went back to him somehow. She just hadn't known what until now.

Kali nodded as she showed her the illustration in the book. "You and I aren't the only ones of our kind named for deities. Deucalion is also."

Kali had been named after the Hindu Goddess of Time, Change and Destruction. She was presented a dark and violent figure and was also known as the Death Bringer. Whereas, Artemis had been named for the Greek Goddess of the Moon and of the Hunt. All things considered, their names suited them rather well but it made the girls wonder what their father had been thinking when he'd chosen them.

"Deucalion was the son of Prometheus, in mythology. Lycaon didn't just refuse to honor the gods. He _challenged _them. He invited Zeus to a banquet and…well, you don't need to know the details. But for what he did, Zeus blew Lycaon's home up with lightning and then punished Lycaon and his family by turning them into wolves. The part that's lesser known is how Lycaon sought out the druids to help turn him and his family back into humans," said Kali.

Artemis's breath caught in her throat. If this was correct, this wasn't just a myth, this was part of her own history as a werewolf.

"They couldn't do it, not all the way. Could they?" she said, softly.

"No," admitted Kali. "The druids were powerful beings with a connection to nature that I'll never understand. But some things are beyond even their power. Supposedly, they knew how to shape-shift, so they taught Lycaon and his family how to do the same. They became the first werewolves. But it came with a price."

Artemis had already guessed it. Having read a number of books on the subject and seen a number of television programs on the same thing, she knew that the power of the wolves had to be kept in check. Nature needed to maintain balance as without balance, there was only chaos.

"Let me guess, the moon gave them their power but it could also be used against them and things like mountain ash became a protection against us," said Artemis.

"Got it in one," said Kali. "Power comes with a price. The question is, are you willing to pay it? Anyway, as a result for what the druids did for Lycaon, they became our advisors. They're held in the highest regard and also kept safe. They're often a secret in a pack. Sometimes only the Alpha of a pack knows the emissary's identity."

"But you knew who yours was," said Artemis.

Kali nodded. "Luna trusted me enough to tell me. Julia Baccari and I were friends until she betrayed me." At the mention of Julia's name, Kali's claws extended and her eyes turned their Alpha red color.

Artemis frowned. "She betrayed you? How?"

Kali took a deep breath to calm herself and retract her werewolf features. "That's a story for another day. Anyway, Deaton was Talia's emissary at the time, so naturally, she went to him for advice."

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Kali's tale…**_

_Deucalion and Talia were meeting Dr. Deaton's office to discuss their plans for the Argents. Or rather, attempt to dissuade Deucalion from enacting his plan. Neither Talia nor Dr. Deaton agreed with it and believed it would only bring death and misery upon them._

"_While I admire your willingness to extend an olive branch, I have to tell you that it might not be welcome," said Dr. Deaton._

"_And I'm not sure that Gerard is the one to accept it," said Talia._

_Dr. Deaton nodded. "I agree. The Argents have a matriarchal leadership." Even if Gerard Argent agreed, Dr. Deaton seriously doubted it would be accepted by the female leaders of the hunters' family._

"_Actually, I was referring to the fact that he's a complete psychopath. The man cuts our kind in half with broadswords," said Talia. _

_Deucalion gave them both a disbelieving look. "Do you two really have so little faith in people? You think Gerard isn't worried about the deaths on his own side?" If this worked, it would mean peace and better lives for them and their posterity._

_Dr. Deaton sighed. He was getting nowhere with Deucalion and it was getting tiresome. "Let me put this another way. Do you know the story of the scorpion and the frog?"_

_Deucalion sighed this time. "I get the feeling I'm about to hear it."_

_Dr. Deaton ignored him. "When the scorpion asked the frog to carry him across the river, the frog asked, 'How do I know you won't sting me?' The scorpion replied, 'Why would I do that? Then we'd both drown.' So the frog agreed to carry the scorpion across the river. But when they were halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog. When the frog asked him why he did it since now they would both die, the scorpion replied, 'It's in my nature.'"_

_Deucalion just smiled at the parable and didn't reply. He understood what Dr. Deaton meant, but that didn't mean he was going to listen._

"_Your faith in humanity might not matter if you underestimate Gerard's nature," said Dr. Deaton, sternly. "Do not underestimate him. He's ruthless, dangerous and he will betray you."_

"_You don't know that," said Deucalion._

"_And you don't know that it won't turn out as Alan says," snapped Talia. "If you're going to insist on meeting with Gerard to make an offer of peace, then do it on neutral territory and do not walk in there alone."_

_Deucalion nodded. "I will. But honestly, you should know that I don't walk alone. I'm an Alpha, for heaven's sake."_

XXX

Derek took a moment to compose himself. He was nearing the end of his story, the most difficult part of it. Even after nine long years, the memories still hurt and his heart ached with grief that refused to leave him.

"After what happened at lunch, Peter kept nagging at me to turn her. He told me to seek out one of the Alphas that were gathered there, but I kept refusing. I didn't want Paige to die, but at the same time, I couldn't bring myself to force her to live a life I knew she would regret."

"Why didn't you just tell her about what you are and ask her?" asked Jackson. "How do you know she would've refused?"

"Trust me, Jackson, I know," said Derek. He sighed as he ran his hands through his short black hair. "Anyway, Paige's cancer became worse. She became sicker as time went on. I knew she wasn't going to last much longer. We agreed to meet in the woods for one last adventure. But if I had known what was going to happen, I never would've agreed."

"What did happen?" asked Erica, dreading the answer.

Tears glistened in Derek's eyes. "I was on my way to meet her when I heard her scream. I tried to get to her in time, but it was too late. Ennis had decided to replace his Beta and get into my mother's favor by turning her himself. But in his haste to turn her, he went too far."

"He killed her, didn't he?" said Stiles, softly.

Derek nodded. "I attacked him, but he was too strong for me. Not that it was a surprise. He was a powerful Alpha and I was just a young Beta. But when he saw Paige, lying there on the brink of death, he realized what he'd done. He let us go and he ran off."

"He just ran off? What a creep. But why didn't she turn? She was bitten by an Alpha," said Boyd, confused.

"If an Alpha goes too far in a turning, the human doesn't turn. They die," explained Cora. "It's why Alphas have to be careful when they turn someone."

Derek looked grieved. "Paige's wounds were fatal. There was nothing anyone could do to save her. I needed somewhere quiet to take her, somewhere we wouldn't be found. So, I took her to the Nemeton, a sacred meeting place for druids, and I stayed with her, just holding her. It was there and then that I had to make a choice."

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Derek's tale…**_

_Paige lay in Derek's arms as they sat underground in the Nemeton._

_Paige was in bad shape and was hanging on by a thread. She did not cry and nor did she smell of fear, but she kept a tight grip on Derek's hand and tightly intertwined their fingers as she buried her face in his chest._

"_I'm so sorry," said Derek, as tears slid down his cheeks. He was trying to take away her pain, but he could only do so much to ease her passing. "I should've protected you better."_

"_It's not your fault," said Paige. "Derek, I have a confession to make. I knew."_

_Derek looked confused. "What?"_

"_Right after I told you my name, I knew," said Paige. "I knew that you were a werewolf."_

_Derek couldn't believe what he was hearing. She knew? She'd known he was a werewolf and she'd still trusted him. "How did you know?"_

"_I don't know how to explain it," said Paige. "Sometimes, I see things. Things in the future."_

"_But if you knew…" Derek struggled to find the words. "…why didn't you tell me?"_

"_I know what you're thinking. But even if Ennis hadn't gone too far, it wouldn't have made any difference. I was always going to die," said Paige. "Nothing could've prevented it, not even lycanthropy."_

_Derek was speechless. She had always known she was going to die and yet she had no fear of it or of him, despite knowing what he was._

"_But if you knew, then why did you trust me? Why did you become my friend?" asked Derek._

"_Because I knew you were different from others like you. I knew I could trust you," said Paige. Tears came to her eyes. "And even if you weren't, I didn't want to let you go. You're the only one who's ever made me feel loved."_

_Derek's tears increased at this as he tightened his grip on Paige. "I wish I'd met you earlier." They could've had so much more time together._

"_So do I. But at least I got to spend this time with you," said Paige. She gently touched his face with her free hand. "You won't be sad forever, Derek. I've seen it. One day, you'll find your true mate. She will be more than just the love of your life. She will be your life. And she'll feel the same way about you."_

_Derek smiled a little at this description of his future mate. "How will I know when it's her?"_

"_There will be signs, signs you won't recognize until she tells you that the reason she's always trying to save you because you're worth saving and she loves you," said Paige. "She'll love you too much to ever let you go. Sounds cheesy, doesn't it?"_

_Derek chuckled a little and then he looked upset when Paige winced in pain again._

"_Derek, please…" she begged. "I'm ready. Just take the pain away."_

_Despite knowing what she was asking him to do, Derek couldn't bring himself to refuse her dying wish. _

"_I will always be with you," she promised. "I'll wait for you."_

"_I know," said Derek, softly. "I won't forget you, ever." Using a trick his mother had taught him, Derek pressed a pressure point on Paige that made her fall into a deep, painless sleep. Derek then took away Paige's pain forever. _

_Right after he did so, Derek's eyes changed from gold to blue and he howled in grief as he buried his face in Paige's shoulder. He couldn't believe she was gone and he couldn't help but wish he'd done better to protect her._

_Though it broke his heart to do so, Derek carried Paige out of the root cellar and left her in the woods near where some people were searching for her. He then hid until they found her body and she was taken away._

_Once Paige's body was taken away, Derek hid himself in the Nemeton. For two days and nights, he neither slept nor ate. He only grieved over the loss of his friend._

_As the dawn of the third morning approached, Talia entered the root cellar and approached him. She had learned from Ennis what he'd done to Paige and she knew what fate had befallen the poor girl. After giving her son time alone to grieve, Talia had decided it was time for him to come home._

_Derek was sitting on the floor with his head buried in his hands as he wept. "I did something bad, Mama."_

"_Shh," soothed Talia. She knelt down and stroked Derek's hair. "It's not your fault. You did everything you could."_

"_Then why couldn't I save her?" sobbed Derek. "She's dead because of me." What good was being a lycanthrope and having so much power if it couldn't be used to save those he loved?_

"_No, Derek. She lived because of you," said Talia. "Sometimes we can't save every life, no matter how much we want to. But sometimes staying alive isn't the same as living. Paige's life was a happier one when you entered it and because of you, she didn't depart from this world alone or feeling unloved. That's the most any of us can ever hope for in our lifetimes."_

_Derek was quiet as he contemplated this. Perhaps there was truth in his mother's words. Paige had been alone before he'd entered her life. He'd given her a friend, made her feel loved and he hadn't let her depart alone. She hadn't been angry with him and nor had she blamed him for what Ennis had done. Paige had just been grateful to have had Derek in her life._

"_But my eyes are different now," he lamented. What would his family think when the saw his eyes had changed?_

_Talia lifted his chin and they gazed upon one another. She saw that Derek's eyes were no longer gold but bright blue. But that didn't matter to her._

"_They are different, but no less beautiful. Just like the rest of you," she murmured as she took Derek's hand. "Come, my son. Let's go home."_

_With a heavy heart, Derek allowed his mother to take him home. As long as he lived, he would never forget Paige or the effect she'd had on his life._

XXX

Derek wiped his face of the tears that had fallen before Cora held him in her arms.

By now, everyone was crying, even Jackson. Knowing that Derek had had to make the choice to end his friend's suffering broke their hearts and in way, it also made them admire his ability to stay strong even when he was hurting.

"Because of what Ennis did, the authorities believed Paige was a victim of an animal attack," said Derek. "But we all knew the truth. So, now every year, I have flowers sent to her grave and the distillery and when I can, I spend two days in the Nemeton. This year, Artemis accompanied me to both places and stayed with me in the Nemeton until I asked to be alone for a while. Until Huntress entered my life, anger became my anchor as it was the only way the pain went away."

"Why didn't you ever tell us about this?" asked Cora.

Derek sighed. How could he make them understand? "It hurt too much. And I never wanted any of you to know what that was like. Taking a life in self-defense or vengeance is different than killing an innocent. When you take the life of an innocent, it takes something from you in return. It dims the bright gold of our eyes into a cold, steel blue."

Everyone looked upset at this, especially Jackson for his werewolf eyes were blue due to his actions as the kanima.

"How did Artemis take it when she found out about this?" asked Isaac.

Derek sighed again as he recalled the early days when he and Artemis began their relationship. They'd had a lot of long talks about their pasts as they didn't want any secrets kept between them. Telling her of Paige hadn't been easy, but in the end, he'd been glad of it, for she had helped him move past his grief.

"When I told her, Huntress cried for both of us, Paige and I, I mean. She didn't blame me, she was just sorry I'd had to go through what I did alone and she promised she'd never leave me," said Derek. "She helped in a lot of ways."

"When did you realize Artemis was your mate?" asked Stiles. "Was it just like Paige said you would?"

Derek nodded. "Like Paige said, I didn't recognize the signs even though I should've. The night that Kate died, Kate was going to kill me but Artemis tried to protect me, saying if I died, she'd go with me. I demanded to know why she was always trying to save me, and she said it was because I was worth saving and she loved me. That was when I finally realized I'd fallen in love with Huntress and we were mates."

"Jeez…" murmured Boyd.

Derek rose up from his seat. "So, now you know. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get some sleep." Derek hadn't slept in two days and he was feeling exhausted both physically and emotionally.

No one tried to stop him, but they did tell him they'd be there if he needed anything. Derek was never going to be alone again, that much they were all certain of.

XXX

Artemis lay back against the headboard of her sister's bed as they curled up with each other. It was getting late and the two Moon sisters were starting to fall asleep.

"Deucalion's attempt to make peace didn't work, did it?" asked Artemis.

Kali shook her head as she stroked her sister's hair. "No. But considering it was Gerard that he met with, it's not surprising. Gerard never intended to make peace. All he cares about is the elimination of our kind."

"Believe me, I know," said Artemis.

Artemis had been on the receiving end of Gerard's killer nature. It wasn't something she wished to experience ever again. She was silently grateful that he was no longer a threat to her or her kind.

XXX

_**Nine years ago, Kali's tale…**_

_The day was bright and clear as Deucalion and three of his Betas met with Gerard and three other hunters to discuss peace and hopefully end the animosity between the two sides._

_Deucalion and his Betas stood their ground while Gerard walked around the distillery. _

"_I think it's quite fitting that we're meeting in a distillery," said Gerard. "You know the process of distillation is the separating of two substances by pushing them into their different volatile states."_

_A weak chuckle emitted from Deucalion's throat. "Volatile is exactly the state I'm hoping to avoid," he confessed. _

_Gerard shook his patronizingly as one would a child. "Ooh. Then this is going to come as quite a big disappointment." And with that, he turned the valves on one of the machines and a powerful white gas burst out of the pipes, hurting them all and making it difficult for them to see. Gerard injected himself with an antidote to keep himself from being affected and then he pulled out a giant spiked mace as he began attacking and killing everyone, even his own hunters._

_Deucalion gasped for breath and struggled to stand and stay conscious. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was such a fool to think he could trust Gerard or make peace with the Argents. Why hadn't he listened to his friends? But still, this was cold, even for Gerard._

"_How could you do this to your own people?" he choked out._

_Gerard just grinned an evil grin. "They wanted peace, too! Look what you've done to them! Now no peace will ever be had between your kind and mine!"_

_Tears slid down Deucalion's cheeks before he tried to get out of the distillery. There was nothing more he could do except try to survive and tell the others what had occurred. _

_Valiantly, Deucalion fought against death and struggled to survive. He didn't possess the strength to stand, so he crawled out despite the pain he was in. But it wasn't long before Gerard caught up with him. _

_Deucalion lay on his back as Gerard approached him with his hands behind his back. _

"_Don't," begged Deucalion. "Don't do this. I had a vision. A vision of peace!"_

"_A little shortsighted, wouldn't you say?" said Gerard. He produced two weapons and used them to blind Deucalion. He then left Deucalion for dead, not knowing that his actions would cost him dearly one day._

_Deucalion was later found by Talia, who brought him to Dr. Deaton for medical treatment._

_Dr. Deaton did what he could but there were some things even he couldn't accomplish. Gently, he took the bandages off Deucalion's head and eyes, but it was clear to them all that it wasn't good._

"_I'm sorry," he murmured, regretfully. "Your eyes will heal physically, but your sight is gone. There's nothing I can do. I'm sorry."_

_Deucalion said nothing for a moment and then he let out an incredibly painful roar as he kneeled over on the table. Tears pooled in his sightless eyes and slid down his cheeks._

"_Leave me alone!" cried Deucalion. He needed time alone to grieve over his losses and try to calm down before he did something terrible. Deucalion's anger and sadness were threatening to overwhelm him._

_Out of respect for their friend, Dr. Deaton and Talia left the room, but Marco, Deucalion's Beta who'd always thirsted for power, did not. He'd just arrived to see his Alpha and had learned of Deucalion's blindness. _

_Deucalion could sense Marco's presence in the room and frowned. "Marco, what're you doing here? I wish to be left alone in peace."_

"_Then alone you shall be," said Marco. He wolfed out and tried to take Deucalion's power for his own, but it was a fatal mistake as Deucalion then discovered that he was only blind when he wasn't wolfed out. With this knowledge, Deucalion executed his traitorous Beta._

XXX

Artemis sat up in the bed and stared at her sister in disbelief. "He sees when he's a wolf?" How could that be possible?

Kali nodded. "I told you. Deucalion's not always blind." Deucalion's ability to see when he was wolfed out was part of the reason he was so dangerous.

"Maybe we can use that against him," said Artemis. But even as she said that, she didn't know how it was going to be done.

But nevertheless, with every bit of information they acquired, they were one step closer to figuring out how to stop Deucalion and the Darach. They were one step closer to winning the battle.


	9. The Girl Who Knew Too Much

**The Girl Who Knew Too Much**

The day was clear and sunny, but it was in sheer contrast to the moods of Artemis, her friends and her packs.

The previous night, Lydia had found another sacrifice made by the Darach and it hit them all hard as the Darach had sacrificed Sheriff Stilinski's deputy, Tara Graeme. She had been more than just a deputy. She had been a close friend of Stiles' family. She was like a big sister to Stiles as she would spend time with him when he had to wait for his dad at the police station.

During morning break, Sheriff Stilinski spoke with Artemis and Stiles. Since Artemis's world had become known to him, he was involving them more in his cases and going to them for consultation.

"Did Tara die a threefold death like the others?" asked Stiles.

Sheriff Stilinski grimaced as he nodded. "That makes ten sacrifices within the last few weeks. What was it this time?"

"According to my boss, there're virgins, warriors, healers, philosophers, and guardians to be sacrificed for power," said Artemis. "Tara was most likely a guardian sacrifice because she was your deputy."

"Swell," mutter Sheriff Stilinski. "And I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but half the state and the F.B.I. are starting to come down on me about this. Ten deaths and no suspects imprisoned, doesn't look good especially when this thing's killed one of our own. I think we can expect a visit from your father."

Artemis's eyes glowed gold with anger. Her father, Agent Moon, was an F.B.I. agent and she hadn't seen or heard from him in since he moved away after Kali's funeral. He was the one responsible for driving Kali into the world of werewolves. He was part of the reason Artemis had lost her sister. And now he might have the nerve to show his face again after all these years?

"Remind me to have Derek kill him," she muttered.

Neither Stiles nor the sheriff knew if she was being serious or not, but didn't pay much attention to it.

"What exactly is the plan here? Because if its guardians as in law enforcement, I can't put all my officers on house arrest," said Sheriff Stilinski. "Is there any idea who the next two victims are?"

"We don't know, but I might have a way of finding out the Darach's identity," said Artemis.

Stiles stared at her in disbelief. "You do? Since when?"

"Since Kali told me Decualion's secret," said Artemis. She'd been thinking about it ever since that night and had mentally berated herself for not thinking of it sooner. "Kali and Ethan are going to talk to us during lunch about what happened with the emissaries of the Alpha pack. The Darach is a druid gone bad and druids are emissaries to my kind. Kali said that her Alpha's emissary betrayed her and Kali punished her for it so chances are this is all connected somehow."

Getting Ethan away from his more controlling, aggressive brother, had been child's play when Kali stepped in as she could be very persuasive when she wanted to be.

Sheriff Stilinski frowned. "When did Kali punish her emissary and what was her name?"

"Nine years ago and her name was Julia Baccari. Why?" asked Artemis.

"I'll explain later," said Sheriff Stilinski. He had a hunch and he was going to get some evidence to support it. "In the meantime, talk to your sister and the Ethan kid. Find out what they know."

Artemis and Stiles nodded.

XXX

During the lunch hour, Artemis and Stiles met with Kali and Ethan in the woods. They couldn't risk anything more as it would raise a lot of questions if students saw Artemis's 'dead' sister back from the grave.

Kali was leaning against a tree examining her nails while Ethan looked both nervous and confused as to why this was happening.

"Hey, guys," said Artemis.

"Hey," said Kali.

"Hey," said Ethan. "Just out of curiosity, why did you ask to see me? I don't know how I can help you guys or why you're suddenly trusting me after what Aiden and I did."

"Because despite all the idiotic things you and your brother did when you got here, you proved yourself worthy after you helped save Danny," said Stiles. "You're not like Deucalion, are you?"

A sad look crossed Ethan's face as he shook his head. "No. We're not. Aiden and I only joined Deucalion's pack because we owed him. We weren't like him and Ennis when we met him. We weren't even Alphas."

"What were you?" asked Artemis.

"They were Omegas," replied Kali. Having known each other a while, Kali was familiar with Ethan and Aiden's life story.

"In actual wolf packs, Omegas are the scapegoats. They're the ones who eat last and endure the ridicule and pain from the others. Our Alpha was the worst of them all," said Ethan.

Stiles frowned in confusion. "Why didn't you and Aiden just do your usual trick of becoming one giant Alpha and fight back?"

"Because we couldn't! We didn't know how to control back then. Not until Deucalion came and taught us. But despite what he did, we weren't going to join his pack after that," said Ethan, looking to be on the verge of tears.

"So why did you?" pressed Artemis. If Ethan and Aiden didn't want to work with Deucalion, why were they allies with him now?

Ethan sighed. "Back then, there was only one person who gave a crap about Aiden and me, our Alpha's emissary. She hated how we were treated. She tried to help us, protect us from what was happening to us, but she couldn't. When she finally tried to get our Alpha to treat us better, he killed her for 'insubordination.' That was when Aiden and I snapped. We took revenge for her. He'd taken her life, so we took his and when the pack saw what we did, we had to defend ourselves or they would've killed us."

Artemis was horrified by this. "I'm sorry," she murmured. Being alone and unloved and then finally finding someone who cared, only to lose them in such a manner…no one deserved to endure that kind of hardship.

"It's not your fault," said Ethan. But his eyes were dull with grief as he wiped away his tears. "And before you ask, as far as I know, Morrell is the only one of our emissaries who's alive. I don't know why, but Deucalion spared her life. I think that's the only reason she's still working with him. But there's no way she's the one sacrificing innocent people. She's not like that, trust me."

"Well, we'll have to pay her a visit to find out for certain, then, won't we?" said Stiles.

"Agreed," said Artemis. She turned to her sister. "Kali, you said Julia betrayed you. What happened exactly? I need to know the whole story, starting with what happened when you left me."

For a moment, it seemed Kali wasn't going to explain but then she sighed and said, "The night I left, I was in the woods and I had just decided to turn back. I couldn't bear to leave you like that. But I never made it home. It was a full moon and I was attacked by a werewolf. He was young, newly turned and experiencing his first full moon. Ennis happened to be in the area and when he saw me being attacked, he killed the Beta and saved my life. It was love at first sight for both of us. Ennis wanted to turn me because he loved me and I had just told him I was willing to do anything to live."

"But if Luna was your Alpha, how'd that work out?" asked Stiles, looking confused. Last he checked, Kali was an Alpha because she'd killed one to become one. If Ennis had been the one turn her, that wouldn't have worked out so they'd both be Alphas in Deucalion's pack.

"Luna was in the area as well that night. The wolf who attacked me was one of hers and she responded to his howl for help. When she found out what happened, she demanded that she be given recompense for his death. A Beta for a Beta. Ennis and I agreed because we had no other choice. I became part of Luna's pack and I stayed away from Beacon Hills and you because she ordered me to and also because I was afraid of hurting you, Arty," said Kali.

Luna's demands hadn't been what Kali had wanted back then, but Kali had had to make sacrifices in order to save her own life.

"Your lycanthropy wasn't easy to get under control, was it?" guessed Artemis. She was all too familiar with the struggles newly turned Betas endured.

Kali nodded again as she closed her eyes. "You know what it's like when you're newly turned, how it feels for the first few full moons. You have to fight every minute of every day to maintain control of your anger and inner wolf. I didn't want to risk hurting you or Mom until I had it under control. But even when Luna was out of the picture and I had control, suddenly any idea of coming back scared seemed impossible. I was too far gone and you seemed to be better off without me."

Artemis's heart ached as she touched her sister's face. "That's not true. I wasn't better off. I needed you, Kali." Artemis couldn't blame Kali for staying away, but she still wished that it hadn't happened. There had been so many times in Artemis's life when she'd needed her sister for comfort and guidance, but Kali hadn't been there to give it.

Kali took Artemis's hand in her and squeezed it before she continued. "Anyway, as I said, Luna trusted me enough to tell me of her emissary's identity. Julia Baccari and I were friends and she arranged for Ennis and I to meet whenever possible. Ennis and I were deeply in love as mates usually are, but we did more than become mates. We found a way to get married in secret. And like many lovers, we thought we were invincible. We didn't foresee the consequences of our relationship."

"What consequences?" asked Stiles. "Did your Alpha not approve or something?"

Kali shook her head. "Luna knew of our relationship. She didn't care about it as long as it didn't get in the way of our duties to our packs. No. The problem came from Julia. It turned out she was also in love with Ennis, but she didn't have a clue that he was with me romantically because she just assumed our meetings were for business between the packs."

Artemis sighed as she rubbed the space in between her eyes. She could tell where this was going. It was a love triangle gone terribly wrong. "Let me guess, when Julia found out the truth, she betrayed you."

Kali nodded. "Julia told Ennis of her feelings one night and she ended up heartbroken because of it. Ennis told her that he and I were mates as well as married. It didn't take long for Julia's heartbreak to turn into jealousy and hatred that was directed at me. So, she chose to get rid of me so she could pursue Ennis. My entire pack, including Luna, went missing for three months and when I found them on the night of the fourth full moon, they were savages. They'd been locked in a room made of hecatolite and Julia trapped me inside with a mountain ash barrier."

Artemis breath caught in her throat as she tried not to picture such a thing in her mind. No wonder Kali had become what she was. Who could blame her?

"That's why you killed your pack and Alpha, isn't it? It wasn't just to join Deucalion's pack and be like him. It was in self-defense," she said, softly.

Kali nodded. "I didn't want to do what I did, but I didn't have a choice. I was trapped and they were going to kill me. So, I fought back and I won. When I told Derek killing pack felt liberating, I meant because I was saving my pack from a fate far worse than whatever Julia would've done to them. Eventually, Morrell found me and she freed me. By then I was just like Deucalion. I was so angry and betrayed. All I could think about was taking vengeance. I hunted down Julia like an animal and I made her pay dearly for what she did and what she tried to do. It was only when she was on the brink of death that I finally stopped."

"Why? What made you stop?" asked Stiles, puzzled.

Kali sighed again. "There was a moment when I looked at her, and the look in her eyes reminded me of Artemis. Because of that, I chose to leave her to die in peace. So, I turned away and I left without looking back. By then, Deucalion had created the Alpha pack and I joined it to be with Ennis. I never saw Julia again after that day, but I highly doubt she managed to live after what I did to her."

"You're absolutely sure about that?" said Artemis. "There's no way Julia's alive?"

Artemis was only asking because they had to be one hundred percent that Alphas' emissaries were dead. If one of them besides Morrell was alive, that meant that the Darach wasn't just acquiring power through death for the sake of power. The Darach was planning to use that power to enact revenge.

Kali nodded. "Positive."

Suddenly, Artemis let out a gasp and she nearly collapsed as pain swept through her. Stiles and Kali caught her before she hit the ground.

"Arty, what's happening to you?" asked Stiles.

Artemis swallowed painfully. "It's not me. It's Derek. Something's wrong."

Whatever was happening to her mate, it wasn't good.

XXX

Meanwhile, Jennifer was meeting Peter under the overpass at the school.

Lately, it seemed the young couple was spending every spare moment together as being apart even for a few hours was rather painful.

When Jennifer saw Peter waiting for her, her heart leapt and she smiled as she ran into his open arms.

Peter spun her around in his arms and then they kissed one another with an intense passion for several long moments until the need for air forced them to break apart.

"I've missed you," she murmured, when they broke apart. "It feels like I haven't seen you in an eternity. How long has it been?"

In all honesty, they'd just had a date the previous night, so technically it hadn't been very long, but that didn't matter to Peter and Jennifer.

"Far too long," said Peter, as he kissed her again.

Just then, the bell rang and they broke apart again.

Jennifer sighed in irritation. "One of these days I'm going to take a sledgehammer to that stupid bell," she murmured, as she buried her face in Peter's chest.

Peter chuckled. "Want me to do it? I could make it look like an accident."

Jennifer just laughed at this. "Has anyone ever told you that you're irresistible when you act all perfect like that?"

"Not until now," said Peter, smiling as they rested their foreheads against one another's and held each other's hands. "So, any chance I could convince you to play hooky with me? Just run away for a day or two and forget about the rest of the world?"

Jennifer smiled and shook her head. "Much as I would love to, I can't. I've got three more classes left and I've put together this special recital for tonight. I organized it to honor the losses at the school. And I'll bet that sounds really stupid, doesn't it?"

Peter shook his head. If he'd heard it from anyone else, he would've said yes. But since it came from Jennifer, he wasn't going to. Coming from her, it sounded like a brilliant idea.

"No. It's perfect, just like you." said Peter, as he kissed her again. "I love you, Jennifer." It was the first time he'd ever said it to someone he cared about and he truly meant it. There was no question about it now. Peter was in love with Jennifer.

"I love you too, Peter," said Jennifer. She kissed him once more before she departed.

XXX

Miss Morrell was busying organizing her file cabinet when she heard someone enter her office and close the door behind them.

"Sorry. But I don't recall having anymore appointments today," she said, not looking up from her work. She assumed it was just another student who'd come to see her.

"You'd better double-check your appointment book then, because you and I have some unfinished business."

Miss Morrell looked up sharply to see Kali standing before her looking cold with her arms folded across her chest. Kali had decided to visit Miss Morrell personally and she didn't care who saw her do it as they needed whatever information Miss Morrell was withholding from them.

"We need to talk," said Kali.

"Yes, I would imagine we do. I can see you're in need of some guidance," said Miss Morrell. She beckoned to the chairs in the room. "Have a seat, Kali."

They both sat down. Miss Morrell sat at her desk and Kali sat across from her.

"I'm surprised I didn't piece it together sooner. You're a double-agent, aren't you?" said Kali, as her eyes flashed red. "You're the only one who could've known about Artemis and made all those promises to Deucalion about her and you're the only one knew what was going down at the bank and could've sent that girl to rescue Isaac."

"Braeden," said Miss Morrell, through gritted teeth. "Call her by her name or don't talk about her at all. And yes, I sent her. I had to do something if no one else was going to. And yes, I told Deucalion about Artemis. But it wasn't what you think. I merely confirmed what he already knew, that's all. Ask him if you don't believe me."

Kali didn't speak further on the matter, but she still flexed her claws warningly. "Why didn't you tell me Deucalion killed Ennis?"

Miss Morrell raised an eyebrow. "You're really asking me that? I know you, Kali. You were practically drowning in your grief and dying to quench your thirst for vengeance against Peter. You never would've believed me and honestly, I have no problems with Peter being killed a second time, provided he actually stays dead, of course."

Kali growled, but didn't argue as she knew Miss Morrell was right. When Kali set her mind to something and was in a mood about it, it was almost impossible to dissuade her from acting purely on her emotions and wolf instincts. Plus, no one would've really cared if Peter was gone for good.

"Quite honestly, Kali, I don't know why you're bothering me when you know the clock's ticking," said Miss Morrell. "You know someone else is about to be taken and yet you're in here questioning me. You're wasting time."

Kali scoffed. "Yeah, I don't think so." Artemis's pack was already working on finding out the identity of the Darach's next sacrifice. They could manage without Kali for the time being. "You know a lot more than you're saying. So why don't you cut the crap and tell me what it is you know?"

"Fine," said Miss Morrell. She rose up from her chair. "You want to know the truth? The truth is, I may not know who the Darach is, but I'm all that stands between Deucalion and the lives of Artemis's loved ones. I've been the one pulling the leash taut when he's been salivating for a bite. I've been protecting your sister."

"Because Deucalion wants her dead," said Kali, as she rose up.

"No," said Miss Morrell, shaking her head. "He'll only resort to that if he has no other option. Deucalion wants a True Alpha in his pack. He knows it's your sister. He's believed it to be her it for a long time just like Alan and I have ever since she was first turned. The incident at Peabody's Mall confirmed his suspicions and now there's no telling what he'll do to get his hands on her.

"And a little thing like human sacrifices won't distract him from the grand prize—your sister. Artemis may not be a True Alpha yet, but it won't be much longer before she finishes her ascension. Artemis is invaluable to Deucalion. She's the rarest of the rare of your kind. But she's also a danger to him because of what she's meant to become. And if Deucalion can't have Artemis, she'll have to be destroyed."

"Meaning if Artemis doesn't willingly join his pack either before or after she becomes the True Alpha, Deucalion's going to kill her," said Kali. Her hatred of the man had just increased a great deal at this.

"Exactly," said Miss Morrell. "But there's another option Deucalion will settle for. If Artemis takes a life, her True Alpha potential will be destroyed and she won't become the True Alpha she's meant to become. He wants to turn her into a killer. That's what he does. He did it with Ennis, he did it with the twins and he did it with you. Artemis will be no different, not to him, anyway."

Kali nearly wolfed out in anger. "Clearly he's underestimating Artemis. She would never take a life or join that monster's pack."

"Don't be so sure," said Miss Morrell, coldly. "Anyone can break if they're pushed hard enough, even someone like Artemis."

"Tell that to Peter. He tried the same thing and he didn't succeed, did he?"

Miss Morrell smirked. "Peter's a lot of things and he's willing to cross a lot of lines to get what he wants, but Peter's not Deucalion. You're all playing Deucalion's game and while you, your sister and her friends are trying to figure out what to do next, Deucalion's thinking ten moves ahead with the checkmate in sight. Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do. So, get out."

Kali was quiet, which was rare for her as she departed from Miss Morrell's office. Her mind was abuzz with the information she'd just acquired. Deucalion was either going to kill Artemis, destroy her True Alpha potential or make her join his pack. Either one of those three options wasn't good. Kali couldn't let any of them befall her sister. She had to protect Artemis, even if the cost was Kali's own life.

XXX

Artemis and Cora frantically burst into the hospital. They were looking for Derek.

After Artemis had felt the pain from her mate, she'd gotten a phone call from her mom, saying Derek was in the hospital. Artemis had wasted no time contacting Cora to tell her about it and the two girls had rushed straight to the hospital. They found Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa talking together by the front desk.

"Mom! Sheriff!" cried Artemis, catching their attention. "What happened? What's wrong with Derek?"

"I don't know," admitted Sheriff Stilinski. "We met up to talk to your mom about the Darach and he just collapsed. He hit his head on a chair, but he didn't heal or wake up, so he got taken in for medical treatment."

"They've been running tests, but the doctors don't know what's wrong with him," said Melissa. "But we've called Dr. Deaton and he's on his way. So, hopefully we'll get some answers soon."

Artemis and Cora exchanged worried glances. A strong, powerful Alpha like Derek didn't just collapse and not heal for no reason. Something was seriously wrong with him. But what could it be?

"Where is he?" asked Cora. "Can we see him?"

"Yes, you can see him. He's in room 309," said Melissa.

And with that, Artemis and Cora went upstairs to see Derek.

When they entered his room, the sight before them broke their hearts. Derek lay on the hospital bed with his head bandaged and machines were strapped to him. He was out cold and showed signs of a fever, which didn't bode well.

Artemis bit her lip in worry as she grasped Derek's hand and stroked his hair as she sent out a telepathic plea and began taking away as much of his pain as she could. _Derek, if you can hear me, I need you to wake up. Please_. If he could just open those beautiful eyes of his for a moment…!

Derek appeared to have heard Artemis's telepathic plea and taken well to her pain relief, because he stirred and awakened right after that.

"Hey, Huntress, Cora," he said. He sounded exhausted and faint.

"Hey, yourself," said Cora, as she took his other hand. "Derek, what happened to you?"

"I don't know," he admitted. One minute, I was fine and the next everything hurt and I passed out." Suddenly, Derek's grip on Artemis's hand tightened as he winced in pain and turned green, signaling that he was going to be ill.

Artemis quickly grabbed a bucket as Derek became ill. Within moments, Derek was almost asleep again, and black ooze could be found in the bucket along with a certain plant they were all too familiar with at this point.

"Mistletoe," breathed Artemis. Rage surged through her at this. The Darach had just chosen Derek as a target. That was the reason he was sick and possibly dying. She was going to kill the Darach when she found it.

"What do we do?" demanded Cora, worried.

Artemis hesitated. She had no desire to do this, but she knew there was no other choice. "Stay with Derek. I'll call Alison and see what she's uncovered. Maybe we can track down the Darach before it attacks again. I'll be back as soon as I can. Just watch over him."

Cora nodded in agreement. "I'll keep Derek safe. You find this thing and you kill it."

Artemis nodded. She didn't know what exactly she was going to do, but she knew that this had to end before anyone else got hurt.

Artemis caressed Derek's face and gently kissed his forehead. "I love you, Derek," she choked, as a tear escaped her. If Artemis lost Derek, she would undoubtedly die with him. Her feelings for her mate were that strong. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," whispered Derek. "Be careful and I'll be here when you get back."

"You'd better," said Artemis, as she left the room.

_If anyone's listening, please don't let Derek die, _she silently pleaded. _I can't lose him. Please, don't take him away from me. Please. _

XXX

Meanwhile, Alison and Isaac were doing their own investigation.

When Alison hadn't shown up for school, Isaac, being a sweet and protective boyfriend, had gone to her house where she was snooping around Chris's office yet again. They'd found something quite interesting. Underneath Chris's maps on his desk was a Celtic five-fold knot engraved on the desk and written in an ink that could only be read by an ultraviolet light were the categories of each of the sacrifices.

It proved that Chris was tracking the Darach's movements, but it also worried Alison that her father might be walking into a trap of some sorts. So, as one might expect, Alison and Isaac discovered where the next sacrifice, which was their just kidnapped history teacher, Mr. Westover, was going to happen.

Alison parked her car at a power substation and saw that her father's car was also parked there.

"Before we go in, can I just ask why we haven't told Artemis or the others about this?" asked Isaac.

"Because I want to make sure we're right about this in case it's a wild goose chase," said Alison. She grabbed her equipment before she got out of the car. "Stay behind me and stay quiet."

Isaac nodded and did as she asked, but he still muttered under his breath, "This is _so _not going to go well." It was a mistake to go in without backup, he knew that. But Isaac found himself unable to resist Alison's charms.

They entered the building and they hadn't gone far when Isaac put a protective arm in front of Alison.

"Wait, I smell blood," he whispered.

Alison frowned in worry. "Where? Which direction?"

"Straight ahead," said Isaac.

Alison quickly drew her Chinese ring daggers and started walking straight ahead despite Isaac telling to come back. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Mr. Westover dying at the hands of the Darach.

Alison ran straight for it.

"Alison, don't!" yelled Isaac, as he chased after her.

"GET DOWN!"

Suddenly, both teens ducked as Chris came out of nowhere and fired heavily at the Darach, trying to stop it, but to no avail. The Darach escaped and vanished into thin air and when Alison checked Mr. Westover's pulse, she found that he had none.

"We're too late. He's dead," said Alison. She then turned on her father. "And why on earth didn't you tell me you've been tracking the Darach?"

"Maybe because I was trying to keep you out of it and protect you," said Chris, sternly. He was furious as they'd just foiled his attempt to destroy the Darach. "I almost had it. I _would've _destroyed it if you two hadn't been snooping around and ruined the whole thing!"

"When are you going to learn that I'm not going to stay out of things like this when people I care about are in danger? And we came here because I thought you might be in trouble! Excuse me for being worried about my father that I love!" snapped Alison.

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady!" said Chris, sternly.

"Hey!" said Isaac, loudly. "Not that I mind watching you two go at it, but we've got a situation here, in case you've forgotten! The Darach just killed our history teacher and last I checked, he wasn't law enforcement!"

The two Argents forced themselves to calm down as they realized Isaac was right. The Darach hadn't gone after guardians.

"It's going after philosophers, as in teachers," said Alison. "I need to call Artemis." She got out her phone and was about to call her friend, but then her phone rang and Artemis's name flashed on the caller ID. Alison answered it. "Artemis?"

"_We've got a problem. The Darach's poisoned Derek,_" said Artemis.

"What?!" exclaimed Alison, horrified. "Is he going to be okay?"

"_I don't know,_" said Artemis, as her voice cracked. She sounded like she'd been crying. "_Dr. Deaton's on his way, but there's no guarantee Derek's going to pull through. So, if you've found out anything that can help us track down the Darach, that would be helpful._"

"We have," said Alison. "My dad, Isaac and I found Mr. Westover. He's dead. We were wrong. It's not guardians as in law enforcement. It's philosophers as in teachers."

"_Crap,_" muttered Artemis. "_That explains why Tara died. Stiles said she used to teach middle school before she became a cop. Look, you need to get to the school, pronto. Every teacher's going to be at the recital tonight. So, if the Darach's going to strike again tonight, this is our only shot at stopping it._"

"Got it. We're on our way," said Alison, as she hung up.

XXX

Meanwhile, Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa were in a private room of the hospital going over some old medical files, trying to determine the Darach's identity.

"This is it," said Melissa. She opened up a file and held it out for them to read. "This is the one you were asking about. According to Artemis, Kali attacked her Alpha's emissary, Julia Baccari, for betraying her. After Kali brought Julia to the point of death, Kali left her alone to die and believes Julia died that day. But I don't think she did. Around that time, there was a patient who looked like she'd been attacked by an animal who was on the verge of death."

"Attacked by an animal or attacked by a werewolf?" asked Sheriff Stilinski, shaking his head. "Werewolves really take the whole revenge business up a whole new level, don't they?"

"You have no idea," said Melissa. Having been told by Derek and Artemis, Melissa knew quite a bit about a werewolf's thirst for revenge and the lengths they were willing to go to quench it. "Anyway, the girl was in no shape to talk to us, so she was labeled a Jane Doe."

"But you definitely think she was Julia?" asked Sheriff Stilinski.

Melissa nodded. "And that's not even the strangest part. The day she was being treated, while she was in the O.R. struggling to hold on, hundreds of birds flew into the walls and windows like they'd gone insane."

"Or they were sacrificing themselves for this girl," said Sheriff Stilinski. He remembered all too well when the animals went crazy the night prior to the sacrifices started. It would be too much of a coincidence if something like that happened on the day Julia was taken to the hospital. "What happened to Julia?"

Melissa shrugged. "Unknown. She just disappeared one night. People assumed she'd just been taken."

"Or maybe Julia survived and left the hospital," said Sheriff Stilinski.

A cold shiver went down their spines at this.

XXX

At the recital that night, all the werewolves were standing guard over the teachers, including Kali and the twins. They were watching and waiting for the Darach to make its move so they could stop it.

Everyone was nervous and tense. No one could relax, not even when Alison arrived with Isaac and her father to aid in their stakeout.

From where Artemis was standing guard, she could see Lydia nervously approaching her.

"Hey. What're you doing here? I thought you were going home," said Artemis.

Lydia shook her head. "I can't. Artemis, I don't know why I am the one who's immune to kanima venom and Alpha bites or why Peter was able to use me or why I keep finding the bodies, but I've been thinking. Maybe I just stopped fighting it and stopped being so afraid of it, maybe I can control it and maybe I can find someone before they died and I can do it in time for someone like you to save them."

Artemis nodded. She knew better than anyone what Lydia was going through, as she'd been forced into the supernatural world and she had fought against what she was in fear until she'd finally accepted it. Artemis still had her fair share of struggles, but her life had become better in many ways because of her acceptance.

"Lydia, I may not know why you can do what you do, but I do know what you're going through. So, trust me when I tell you that when you've accepted whatever this is, there'll be nothing you can't do," said Artemis. "You're a lot stronger than you know. And I swear to heaven, that if you get me the time, I will do everything I can to save that person's life."

Lydia smiled at Artemis and then Lydia did something that she'd never done before in her life, she hugged Artemis.

"You're going to be a great Alpha, Artemis. I know it," she whispered. "I'm really glad we're friends now."

Artemis returned the embrace and then smiled as Lydia pulled away and took her seat. Artemis never thought she'd live to see the day when she was glad of a friendship with Lydia, but she was. People changed and could surprise you, especially when you didn't expect it. This was proof of that.

The night went on and for the most part, the recital was beautiful. The music performed was sweet, tear-jerking and magnificent. For a little while, it was almost enjoyable. But then suddenly, everything went wrong.

The music took a frightening turn and it reminded Artemis of the noise she'd heard on the sacrificed music teacher's phone when he'd gone missing and then suddenly, the pianist who was also the piano teacher, was killed and yet no one had gone anywhere near her. As the crowd screamed and fled for the doors, Jackson came up to Artemis looking panicked.

"Where's Lydia?" he demanded.

XXX

Pain throbbed throughout Lydia's body as she slowly came to.

She'd received a text requesting her presence and had left the recital to take care of it as the text claimed it was a matter of life and death. But when Lydia had arrived at the rendezvous point, which was an empty classroom, she'd been met by Jennifer, who promptly knocked her out and tied her to a chair in the room.

Now she was awake and it looked like Jennifer was preparing to sacrifice Lydia next.

"You're the Darach," whispered Lydia. "You're Julia, Kali's former emissary." She'd been told the story by Artemis. She knew what had happened between Kali and Jennifer.

Jennifer nodded. "Technically, I was her Alpha's emissary. But I suppose I was also hers, in a way. But it doesn't really matter. Kali's going to pay for what she did to me."

"So, this is just about revenge?" asked Lydia.

"Not entirely. It's also out of necessity," said Jennifer. "To be honest, I'm surprised none of you figured it out sooner. After all, my timing in Beacon Hills matched up, didn't it? And I'm also surprised that none of you see that what I'm doing is for the good of all of us. You call them 'sacrifices' but you're not understanding the word. It's derived from the Latin word, '_sacrificium,_' an offering to a deity, a sacred rite."

Lydia shook her head and regretted it afterwards for her head hurt terribly. "Artemis saved your life!" she hissed. Artemis had almost died trying to save Jennifer and this was how Jennifer repaid her? "Why'd you try to sacrifice her after what she did?"

"Honestly? I was grateful for what Artemis did, but I couldn't dwell on it. Artemis, Derek and Ethan were intended to be guardian sacrifices because of their roles in their packs. But truth be told, I just wanted Kali to hurt and the best way to do that was to get rid of her sister," said Jennifer, coldly.

Jennifer had known from the beginning that Artemis was Kali's sister. They looked like each other and they bore the same surname. It had also been easy to find out what had become of Artemis since Peter bit her as druids had a habit of finding out almost anything, even when people didn't expect it. She had pretended to befriend Artemis as Artemis was just a means to an end in her plan to destroy Kali.

"Why are you doing this?" demanded Lydia.

"I have to," growled Jennifer. She'd gone mad with vengeance and it had eaten away her humanity and compassion. All she thought about was Kali being punished. "You don't know Kali and the Alpha pack like I do. But I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm not doing this to you because you're a sacrifice. I'm doing this because you know too much. You're a loose end, Lydia. And all loose ends have to be tied up."

Jennifer then tried to kill Lydia, but Lydia let out a loud yell. "JACKSON!" And then Lydia emitted a cry that broke the windows and threatened to shatter the eardrums of the werewolves who heard it as well.

Jennifer stepped back and stared at Lydia in utter shock. "Unbelievable," she murmured. "You've no idea what you are, do you? No wonder you always seek out death, Lydia. You're a banshee, a wailing woman."

"And she's my mate!" snarled Jackson. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Jennifer looked up and saw that Jackson, Artemis and the rest of the pack had broken into the room, along with Sheriff Stilinski. The werewolves were all wolfed out and ready for a fight and the Sheriff had his gun aimed at Jennifer.

Artemis and the other wolves then attacked, but Jennifer just tossed them aside like ragdolls and wounded them before turning her attention to the Sheriff. Jennifer didn't even notice Jackson freeing Lydia of her bonds and getting her to safety.

"I should've chosen philosophers first," said Jennifer. She tossed her knife and it hit the Sheriff, causing him to drop his gun. "I would've gained considerable knowledge and strategy skills. Maybe then I could've gotten away with this."

Sheriff Stilinski grabbed his gun and fired it at Jennifer, only for her to heal quickly from it like a werewolf would. Jennifer winced at first, but after she healed she continued to walk towards the sheriff.

"Kali's going to find you," choked Artemis. She was healing from the wounds Jennifer had inflicted, but it wasn't fast enough. She didn't even possess the strength to stand so she could protect the sheriff. No one did.

Jennifer grinned evilly as she displayed her true face for all of them to see. "I know she will. And when she does, Kali's going to pay for what she did to me with her life. I've spent years preparing for this and now all my hard work's going to pay off. I've just got to get rid of Kali and make one last round of sacrifices before I get rid of Deucalion."

Jennifer then grabbed Sheriff Stilinski and disappeared with him into the night just as Stiles arrived.

The situation had just gone from bad to worse. What were they going to do now?


	10. The Overlooked

**The Overlooked**

A thunderstorm like no other raged that night.

The thunder was booming, lightning split the sky and the trees on the ground, the wind blew at dangerous speeds, rain and hail poured down so hard it was painful to step outside, there were flood watches in most the neighboring towns and many buildings had power and were being evacuated.

The storm was unnatural.

Jennifer's actions had caused it and she was controlling it, trying to use it to slow down her enemies who were no doubt pursuing her even at that very moment. Jennifer knew that Artemis, Kali and the others were after her and if she was going to complete her plans and remain alive, she had to go to the one person she knew she could trust. She needed the one man who loved her and would do anything for her. She needed Peter.

"Peter?" she called out, as she entered his apartment. "Peter, where are you?"

"I'm right here." Peter was standing by the window and he looked concerned when he saw the look on her face. "You all right?"

Jennifer didn't reply. She just ran straight into Peter's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Jen, you're trembling. What's wrong?" asked Peter, concerned as they broke apart.

Jennifer sighed. "Something happened tonight at the recital," she said. "I need to tell you before you hear it from _them_."

Peter looked puzzled. "Hear it from who?"

"Artemis and Stiles," replied Jennifer. She had to make sure Peter listened to her and believed her story before he heard anything from those two. "They're going to tell you things that you cannot believe. You can't trust them. You have to trust me. You do trust me, don't you, Peter?"

Peter nodded. "You know I do. But what exactly happened?"

"Promise you'll listen to me," she begged.

Peter looked concerned again as he nodded. "I promise."

Relieved, Jennifer kissed Peter, only to pull back when she didn't feel him respond to her kiss with his usual passion. She looked into his eyes and she knew. She _knew_.

"They're already here, aren't they?"

Peter didn't reply. He just glanced behind Jennifer with his eyes, causing her to turn around and see Stiles and Artemis behind her.

Stiles looked shaken and angry and tears were in his eyes. Artemis was giving Jennifer a cold look and holding a small jar containing a powder in her hand.

"So…they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people?" guessed Jennifer.

"We told him you're the one _killing _people," growled Artemis.

Jennifer scoffed. "Right. _I'm _the one making human sacrifices when I'm not teaching high school English all day. That makes _perfect _sense."

"Where's my dad?" demanded Stiles, as a tear slid down his cheek.

"How should I know? I'm not the sheriff's keeper," snapped Jennifer. She turned to Peter and tried to salvage the situation. She had to convince Peter of her innocence. "Peter, please tell me you don't believe them."

"Believe me, there's nothing I'd like more than to do that," said Peter, quietly. "But why would they lie to me about something like this?" No one had had a problem with Peter and Jennifer's relationship up until now. Despite no one liking or trusting Peter, he knew Artemis and the others wouldn't have interfered in Peter's relationship unless there was a perfectly good reason.

"You said it yourself. They don't trust you or like you. But I _do. _I trust you and I love you, Peter. Why would I risk our love like that? Artemis and Stiles are just trying to ruin your life and ruin what you and I have together. I would never kill innocent people and I don't know what happened to the sheriff!" said Jennifer, as tears came to her eyes.

"Then what _do _you know?" asked Peter.

"I know that these two kids, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story. One they can't even prove!" said Jennifer. She had to get him to believe her. If she lost him, she didn't know what she'd do.

Artemis held up the jar in her hand. "Oh, I think we can. Recognize this? Druids use it, just like you used it to poison Derek. But it's not just a cure or a poison for werewolves. It can also be used against you."

Jennifer looked both horrified and angry. "Mistletoe?" she hissed.

Artemis opened the jar and tossed the contents at Jennifer. It swirled around her like a whirlwind and caused her to shriek as her true Darach face was briefly revealed to them all before the powdered mistletoe disappeared and Jennifer's disguise was back up.

For a brief moment, Peter looked heartbroken and shocked, but it vanished quickly as it was replaced with pure fury and rage. He grabbed Jennifer by the throat when she tried to make a run for it. He hoisted her up into the air by the throat with one hand and extended his claws on his other hand.

"One thing you should've known about me, Jennifer. Cross me wrong and you pay for it with your life," snarled Peter, as his eyes flashed werewolf blue. "Kate Argent and her minions decimated my family and I made them pay for it. Perhaps I should show you how!"

"Peter, wait, stop!" yelled Artemis, as she grabbed his wrist. "Stop! She deserves to be punished, I know that. But if you kill her, Derek will die and we'll never find Stiles' father! We need her alive! Let her go."

Peter growled in anger, but obeyed. He dropped Jennifer to the floor and she looked at them smugly as she caught her breath.

"That's right. You need me," said Jennifer, smugly.

"For now," growled Peter. He grabbed her arm. "You're coming with us to the hospital and you're going to save my nephew or by the time I'm done with you, you'll be _begging _me to kill you."

And with that, they all departed for the hospital.

XXX

When they arrived at the hospital, they met up with Kali, Jackson, Boyd and Erica the entrance and it was almost completely empty due to the evacuations.

Everyone was tense. Kali wasn't at all happy to see her former emissary again and the feeling was mutual. Considering their past history, it was understandable, but the two women had to put it aside for the time being as Kali was Derek's only hope of survival. As they walked, Peter had a tight grip on Jennifer's arm to keep her from running off, Stiles had a baseball bat as he was the only one without wolf powers, and the other wolves were prepared to shift on a moment's notice if they had to.

"Artemis? Kali?" said Melissa, surprised. "What're you all doing here? The hospital's evacuating."

"We're here to get Derek," said Kali.

They didn't have much time. Artemis could feel Derek's pain through their link and she could tell he was fading away with every passing moment.

Melissa frowned in confusion. "_All _of you? And why's Artemis's teacher here?"

"She has to be here. She's the one who poisoned Derek. She's the Darach," said Artemis. She held up her hands when her mother's eyes widened. "I don't have time to explain. Just trust us on this. You need get out of here. _Right now._"

Melissa looked as though she wanted to protest, but instead she said, "The building's supposed to be evacuated within thirty minutes. There're two ambulances that're coming back. They'll be here in twenty minutes and they'll arrive in basement parking lot. Make sure Derek's on one of them."

"We will," said Kali. She then hugged her mother tightly, as if it was for the last time. "Be safe, Mother. I love you."

"I love you too," said Melissa, with tears in her eyes as they pulled apart.

They then parted ways before Artemis and the others managed to squeeze into the elevator, which was cramped and tight.

Jennifer eyed her former boyfriend's grip on her arm with disdain and annoyance. "You don't have to keep me on a leash, Peter. I'm not going to run."

"Good. Because if you even try, you'll be dead," snarled Kali. "Now, be quiet or I'll finish what I started nine years ago."

Jennifer glared at Kali, but didn't disobey her as they then left the elevator and walked to Derek's room. But when they arrived, it was devoid of life and there was a trail of black ooze leading from the room and behind a pair of swinging doors.

Sounds of fighting behind the door hit their ears and then Cora literally slid on the floor in front of them. Cora winced as she stood up.

"Perfect timing. We've got a really big problem," said Cora. "Or should I say two big problems?"

The doors swung open to reveal Ethan and Aiden in their joined Alpha form. They were roaring and clearly ready for a fight. Derek was behind them, struggling to stand and failing miserably before collapsing again.

"Get Derek out of here. I'll deal with _them_," growled Kali. Before anyone could stop her, Kali wolfed out and charged the twins just as they ran towards her and then they launched into an Alpha fight. Kali was proving to be the twins' equal in battle as she was holding her own rather well.

While Jennifer escaped via the elevator, Artemis and Cora took the chance to slip behind the battling Alphas, grab Derek and get him to safety. They ran though the hospital and didn't stop until they came upon an empty room with a table and medical supplies and equipment. By then, the power had died and the backup generators had switched on, filling the hospital with a dull, yellow-green light.

Artemis and Cora rested Derek on the table while Erica and Boyd locked the doors just as Kali returned. Her clothes were torn and bloody in some places, but she was healing appeared to be all right.

"What happened? Where's the big guy?" asked Stiles.

"Dealt with for now," said Kali. "They're out cold, but they'll be back on their feet soon enough. How's Derek?"

"I'm fine," said Derek. But this was a lie and a half. Derek had wounds courtesy of the twins, he was pale as death, his skin was on fire and he launched into a coughing fit.

Artemis frowned in worry. "You're not fine. You're burning up, you're wounded and sick and you can barely stand! Didn't Deaton drop by?"

"He did. He gave Derek medicine, but it's not working," said Cora, tearfully. "Derek's not getting any better."

"Then we need to find Jennifer and get her to fix this," said Erica.

Stiles frowned. "Excuse me? Did you just say we need to find Jennifer? You _lost _her?!"

Peter glared at Stiles. "You mind keeping your voice down? I don't think the people in China can hear you!" he hissed.

Stiles quickly rounded on Peter in anger. "Oh, so now you're telling me what to do? Guess again! You don't have any right to tell any of us what to, especially not when your psychotic mass-murdering girlfriend, had got my dad tied up somewhere about to be ritually sacrificed!"

"Stiles!" said Artemis, sternly. "_Enough._" She understood what he was going through and his anger was justified, but they had to stay focused. "We need to be quieter or else they're going to find us, okay? If they're here, then Deucalion can't be far behind. We need to find out what they want and get out of here!"

Stiles still looked furious, but he fell silent as Artemis asked.

"They're here for Jennifer," said Kali, surprising them all. "They told me."

"And they know about her, _how?_" demanded Jackson.

Kali gave him a withering look. "This is Deucalion we're talking about. He's not an idiot. He obviously figured it out and now he wants the threat to him eliminated."

"We can't just hand her over to them!" objected Boyd. "She's our only hope of saving Derek!"

"Which is all the more reason for you to keep me alive," said Jennifer, startling them. She'd gotten in unnoticed. How, they had no idea. "I can save Derek and tell you where the sheriff is. But there's a pack of Alphas in this hospital that want me dead. So, I'll help you, but _only _once I'm out of here and safe. _Only _then."

Peter immediately wolfed out and tried to lunge for her, but Artemis stopped him.

"Peter, stop!" she hissed.

"She's just trying to save her own skin!" growled Peter. "She was trying to escape and now that she's realized she's trapped, she's using us to get out! She was never going to heal Derek or tell us where the sheriff is! Can't you see that!"

Jennifer glared at him. "I wasn't going to back out of my word! I was trying to keep from getting killed! You can't blame me for that, Peter!"

"Then why don't you prove it and save Derek?" demanded Artemis.

"And lose one of my guarantees that you'll keep me safe? I think not," said Jennifer.

Kali extended her claws. "That's it. I say we torture her or rip the information out of her brain. Mind if I start, Peter?" Kali wanted Jennifer dead and to actually _stay _dead, not just because of what Jennifer had done to Kali all those years ago, but also because Jennifer was the reason Artemis's mate was on the verge of death and Jennifer had tried to kill Artemis. It was time for some payback.

"Knock yourself out," said Peter, coldly.

At this point, Peter didn't care if Jennifer died. He just wanted her punished for what she did to him and his family. If Kali wanted to be the one to do it, that was perfectly fine with Peter. He had no problem with it whatsoever.

Jennifer looked frightened before Artemis came in between her and Kali.

Just then, the P.A. system came on and Melissa's voice was heard on the speakers. "_Can I have your attention? Mr. Deucalion…excuse me, just Deucalion…_" Melissa sounded frightened and upset. "_…requests that you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to E.R. reception as soon as possible. Do this and everyone can leave. You have ten minutes._"

Kali and Artemis exchanged horrified looks.

"Deucalion's got Mom," whispered Artemis.

"Deucalion's not going to hurt her," said Kali. But if he did, Kali would tear him to bits. "You know that. She's too valuable to him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Stiles.

"It means it wasn't just Derek that Deucalion wanted in his pack," said Jennifer. She was also aware of Artemis's secret and Deucalion's true motives. "He wants Artemis as well. He doesn't just want an Alpha pack. He wants perfection and that means adding the rarest of Alphas into his ranks. Decualion only wants Artemis dead or made into a killer if he can't have her in his pack as a True Alpha. That's why he won't hurt Melissa."

"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Peter.

It made perfect sense when one thought about. Deucalion was an obsessive and Artemis was the object of his desire. If he couldn't have her, then he had to destroy her to make sure no one could. But if he could have both Moon sisters in his pack, one of which had a powerful bond with her mate, then he'd probably be the happiest Alpha alive and definitely one of the most powerful. No one could stand in his way with such a powerful Alpha pack behind him.

"It doesn't matter what Deucalion wants. He'll have Huntress over my dead body," said Derek. He tried to stand up, but his legs shook and he nearly fell. Artemis caught him just in time. "I'll protect her and the pack. It's my duty."

Tears slid down Artemis's cheeks as she cupped Derek's face in her hands. Even when Derek was on the brink of death, he was looking after her and the pack. What had they done to deserve him?

"Derek, listen to me. You've already done so much for us," said Artemis. "You've always taken care of us and protected us. No matter what happens, you will always be this pack's Alpha and I will always love you. Now it's our turn to take care of you and protect you. So, let us do this."

Derek sighed as he covered Artemis's hands with his own. Derek knew that Artemis was right. He was in no shape to fight and he'd devoted so much of his life and power to his mate and his pack. They thought of him as family and they wanted to protect him now, just as he'd done for them.

"Okay," he whispered. "I'll do it."

Artemis heaved a sigh of relief as she kissed his forehead. "I love you so much."

"I love you," murmured Derek.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Cora.

"We need to get Jennifer out of here," said Artemis. "My mom said there was another ambulance coming, but chances are Deucalion will have thought of that and cut off that escape route, so we need to get Jennifer to one of our cars and get both her and Derek out of here."

"Sounds like a great plan," said Jackson, sarcastically. "But in case you've forgotten, the twins aren't going to let us just walk out of here!"

Derek glared at Jackson, making him fall silent.

"Kali and I will distract Ethan and Aiden," said Artemis.

"You mean fight them," said Cora.

Kali and Artemis ignored her.

"Erica and I will help," said Boyd, as Erica nodded in agreement.

Artemis could see there would be no use in even attempting to dissuade the two Betas from aiding in the fight, so she didn't. She just nodded in agreement.

"Fine. Stiles, you, Jackson and Cora get Derek out of here and get one of the cars ready to go. As soon as Jennifer's out of the building and in the car, you need to leave for Derek's apartment before the other Alphas catch up," said Artemis. "And Peter, you go with Jennifer. Make sure she gets out of here in one piece."

Peter looked angry. "Wait, back up. Why do _I _have to go with _her?_" The last thing Peter wanted was to be with Jennifer at the moment.

"Because you're the only one I trust and if you don't go with me, I'll let Deucalion kill me and then I can't fulfill my end of the deal," snapped Jennifer. "Good enough?"

Peter still looked furious but he nodded. Peter would comply with Artemis's orders, but he would only do so grudgingly and on the behalf of his nephew.

"You all know what to do. Let's do it," said Artemis.

Everyone nodded and then they split up. They had to get Derek and Jennifer out alive and get away from Deucalion and the twins with their own lives in the process. It was going to be a very long night.

XXX

While Artemis, Kali, Erica and Boyd were busy fighting Ethan and Aiden, Derek was taken to Stiles' jeep courtesy of Stiles, Cora and Jackson, who took the stairs and Peter got Jennifer into an elevator.

The elevator proved to be a mistake, for the power went out and the elevator stopped. Peter got the doors open, but they were trapped in between floors and there wasn't enough room for them to slip through.

"Dang it," muttered Peter. He tried to find another escape route, and then he spotted the emergency hatch above them.

"If you're thinking of going out that way, the service hatch bolts from the outside so you'd have to break it," said Jennifer. "All you'd end up doing is creating a lot of noise and let them know where we are."

"How do you know they don't know already?" demanded Peter.

"Because I know the Alpha pack. If they knew, they'd be here right now. For all they know, we're on another floor," said Jennifer. "And if we try to get out through the hatch and onto another floor, you might end up fighting them alone in an elevator shaft."

Peter growled in anger. "So, we're trapped in here. Perfect!"

"I'm sorry, but it's true. If we try to escape like this and they find me, they'll tear me to pieces before you can land a punch," said Jennifer, apologetically.

Peter scoffed. "And wouldn't that be poetic? You tore my heart to pieces and now they'll do the same to you," he muttered. He got out his phone and began texting Artemis. "I'll let Artemis know we're trapped. She'll get us out."

"What makes you so sure of that?" asked Jennifer.

"Because if there's one thing that girl's good at, it's figuring out solutions to problems like this," said Peter. Artemis's accomplishments since Peter first turned her were great and he had to admit, he felt a bit of pride in his former Beta. Peter then received a text from Artemis. "She's responded. She's on her way to fix this. So, we have to just sit tight until the backup generator's back on."

Peter then pocketed his phone and waited. He kept his back to his girlfriend, or rather _ex-_girlfriend and closed his eyes so that he didn't have to see her reflection in the elevator doors. The less he saw of her, the better. The only thing keeping him from killing her was knowing that Jennifer was needed to save Derek and locate the sheriff. Once she was no longer useful, she was dead.

For what felt like an eternity, but had actually been only minutes, there was a tense silence until Jennifer broke.

"Peter…" she said, softly. "Peter, I know what you're thinking. But you're wrong. I'm not using you. I wanted you to come with me because you're the only one who makes me feel safe and because I trust you. I may have lied about my name and what I am, but I never lied about my feelings for you, Peter. I _do _love you. My feelings for you, what happened between us, all of that was real for me. It still is. I know you feel the same way."

"Do I?" demanded Peter. He didn't know anything anymore. He had trusted Jennifer. He had protected her. He'd even allowed himself to fall in love with her and let her have his heart! And she'd betrayed him. She'd broken his heart and shattered his trust. He should've expected it as he hadn't experienced the usual signs that came when a werewolf found their true mate. But it still hurt. "I don't know what I think anymore. I thought I knew you, but I was wrong, wasn't I? You lied about everything else. Why not our relationship? Heck, I don't even know if that's your real face I've been looking at!"

Jennifer swallowed painfully as tears came to her eyes. "The face that the mistletoe showed you, that was how I looked after what Kali did to me. This face that I wear now, that's how I looked before she nearly killed me."

"Give me one good reason why I should believe a word that comes out of your mouth," snarled Peter.

"Because no matter what you think of me, I love you, Peter," said Jennifer, as tears slid down her cheeks. Jennifer had never lied about her feelings for Peter. She had truly fallen in love with Peter and she hadn't wanted to hurt him. She regretted hurting him but she was too far gone into her plans to quit so soon. "And I'm just like you, Peter."

"We're not alike!" snarled Peter. "I didn't murder twelve innocent people just because of a grudge against Artemis's sister!"

"But you killed your own niece to gain power so you could take revenge on the culprits of the Hale Fire," retorted Jennifer. "That's all I did, Peter. If you want the truth, I'll tell you everything, I promise."

"Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?" demanded Peter. "And I know what happened to you. You fell in love with Kali's mate, he turned you down, you tried to kill Kali for it and she failed to kill you in vengeance. Mystery solved."

"You only know what Kali told Artemis. You don't know my part," said Jennifer. "And why would I lie now? What could I have to gain from it?"

Peter didn't reply, so Jennifer took it as a sign to tell her tale.

"A long time ago, my name was Julia Baccari," she began. Looking back, choosing an alias with her old initials of J.B. probably wasn't the best idea. But then again, people tended to pick alias that were subconsciously derivative of their original name so they wouldn't lose their identity completely since one's name was tied to one's sense of self. "I was the druidic emissary to Kali's Alpha, Luna. When Kali joined the pack, she and I became friends. I was the one who arranged the meetings between Kali and Ennis. I didn't know they were mates. I just assumed that they were doing business between their packs.

"Somewhere along the way, I made the mistake of falling in love with Ennis. I kept my feelings to myself until one day, I couldn't stand it anymore. I told Ennis I loved him, but a surprise came my way. Ennis told me that while he cared about me, we could only be friends at most. A relationship between he and I was impossible because he'd found his true mate in Kali and they'd also married. I was heartbroken. I felt like I died right then and there. My heartbreak turned to anger and it swallowed me whole.

"Suddenly, Kali was no longer my friend. She was my enemy. I know that werewolves only find true love once in their lifetimes, but I thought if Kali was out of the picture, maybe I could have something with Ennis. I was so desperate to be with him that I was willing to cross lines I never thought I would. I couldn't take Kali down on my own, so I turned to an alternative method. I found a place made with hecatolite and I trapped Kali's Alpha and her pack in there for three months. Kali looked for them but she didn't find them and she didn't even know I was the cause of their disappearance.

"When the fourth full moon came, I told Kali I'd found her missing pack. I lured her into a trap and once she was inside, I trapped her in there with mountain ash. I thought that would be the end of it, but I underestimated Kali and that was a mistake. She fought back and became what she is now. For my betrayal, Kali hunted me down like an animal and she nearly killed me. But at the last moment, she showed me mercy and left me alone to die in peace. And I would've, if it hadn't been for the Nemeton."

Peter's ears perked up, but he still kept his back to Jennifer. "The Nemeton?"

"I know what Derek did there, Peter. He sacrificed Paige's life in order to spare her a painful death. But he had no idea of what he'd done. Paige was sacrificed as a virgin and her blood gave the Nemeton power for the first time in years. After Kali nearly killed me, I crawled to the Nemeton and I grabbed it. It gave me the strength to hold on until I was found by the police and taken to the hospital. Once I had the strength to leave, I disappeared from the hospital and I spent the next few years waiting until it was time to strike."

"And I suppose those twelve innocent lives you sacrificed meant nothing to you?" said Peter, bitterly. Killing those responsible for a crime, he understood. But Jennifer's actions pushed even his limits.

"I had no choice, Peter," said Jennifer. "You, of all people, should know that. Let me tell you another reason why we're similar. You and I are both overlooked, just like mistletoe once was."

Peter finally looked at her, and when he did, his expression was a mixture of skepticism and confusion. "Excuse me?" How could mistletoe be an overlooked plant?

"Mistletoe's important to druids, but there's also a reason why people kiss under the mistletoe," said Jennifer. "According to Norse myth, Baldur, the son of Odin, was the most beloved by the other gods. So much so, that they wanted to protect him from all the dangers in the world. His mother, Frigg, took an oath from fire, water, metal, stone and every living thing that they would never hurt Baldur. At a gathering, they tested him with everything they could think of, but nothing worked. Baldur was protected from all things."

"But there was one god that wasn't enamored of Baldur. Loki, the God of Mischief, discovered that Frigg had forgotten to ask mistletoe. It was a seemingly harmless little plant, and it had been completely overlooked. Loki fashioned a dart out of mistletoe and it killed Baldur. Frigg was heartbroken. She decreed that mistletoe would never again be used as a weapon and she would place a kiss to those who passed under it. So, now we hang mistletoe under our doors during the holidays so that we will never overlook it again."

Peter just snorted. "And I should care about this, why?"

"Because it wasn't just the emissaries who were overlooked, Peter," said Jennifer. "You were too. When the culprits of the Hale Fire were dropping like flies, no one even considered that you, a burnt vegetable in the hospital, could possibly be the one righting the wrongs done to your family until it was too late."

Peter was quiet. Jennifer was right, of course. Peter _had _been overlooked. No one had even suspected that he'd killed Laura in order to become an Alpha and punish those responsible for the fire that had decimated his family. He had been overlooked not just by Kate, but by his own family and by Artemis as well. Peter had taken a life, a life he'd cherished, in order to enact revenge and justice and make sure those responsible for the crime done to his family never did it again.

"Just like you took an oath to take vengeance on Kate and her minions for what they did to your family, I took one of my own. From virgins, warriors, healers, philosophers, and guardians, to loan me their power so that I could teach Kali and the other monsters in Deucalion's pack that their monstrous actions would _never _be overlooked," said Jennifer. "You killed your niece, Laura, for the exact same reason as I killed those twelve people, Peter. Why can't you see that you and I are the same?"

"Why? So I can save your life?" scoffed Peter. "I don't think so."

"I'm not asking you to just my life, Peter. I'm asking you to help me save the lives of everyone Kali and the other Alphas will ever hurt again," said Jennifer. "I didn't enjoy doing what I did. But you and I both know that some must be sacrificed, if all are to be saved."

For a moment, Peter was quiet again. "Even if I were to agree with you, your plan will never work. Deucalion and the other Alphas can't be beaten."

Jennifer shook her head. "You're wrong. The lunar eclipse is coming, Peter. And you know as well as I do what happens to your kind during the total lunar eclipse."

"We lose all our power," murmured Peter, quietly.

During the lunar eclipse, for the brief period of time when the moon passed behind the earth's shadow, all werewolves lost their power and were rendered helpless. For that brief period of time, they were essentially like humans. Deucalion, for all his power, would be no different than any other lycanthrope. When the lunar eclipse came, Deucalion would be easy pickings for Jennifer, especially since she had acquired so much power.

Jennifer then reached out and touched Peter's face. "Peter, look at me."

Instead of pulling away, Peter found himself leaning to Jennifer's touch. He turned to face her and when he looked at her, he saw that her eyes were filled with tears and love.

"I know that I hurt you and I'm sorry," she murmured. "I never wanted that to happen. After Ennis broke my heart, I thought I'd never find love again, that I was empty. But then you came along and reminded me what it felt like to love and be loved in return. I didn't want to lose that. I still don't. No matter what happens, please remember that I will always truly, deeply love you, Peter."

Peter's heart ached at this and he found himself murmuring, "I love you too, Jen."

Jennifer smiled through her tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Peter's arms slid around her waist and he held her close to him as he returned her kiss with an intense passion. Maybe for just one moment, they didn't have to be enemies. Maybe for one moment, they could just be each other's.

XXX

Meanwhile, Artemis let out a cry of both terror and delight as she slid down the laundry chute and landed in a basket of laundry.

The fight with Ethan and Aiden had gone bad and they'd ended up making a tactile retreat to one of the rooms with a laundry chute and they'd ended up sliding down said laundry chute (something that all of them had wanted to do at one point when they were kids) and ending up in the laundry room.

"That was awful," said Boyd, as he helped Artemis climb out of the basket. "Don't they ever give up?"

"They're Alphas. They don't quit and it takes them quite a while to tire out," said Kali. "We're lucky we even got away from them."

"Yeah, lucky," muttered Erica, as she shook her head. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know. I—" Suddenly, Artemis's phone went off and she was surprised when she saw the name on the caller ID. "Peter's just texted me. How the heck does he even know my cell phone number?" She then saw that Peter's text read, '_**Jennifer and I stuck in elevator. Need help.**_'__"Oh, crap."

"Peter and Jennifer didn't get out, did they?" asked Erica.

Artemis shook her head. "They're trapped in an elevator. Deucalion must've killed the power to the building. We need to get the backup generator online." She quickly sent out a text to Peter that read, '_**Don't move. On our way**_**,**' before she got out of the basket. "Erica, Boyd, get to the cars and get out of here. Kali and I will handle things from here."

Erica and Boyd looked uncertain at this.

"You sure about that?" asked Boyd.

Artemis nodded. Erica and Boyd had fought valiantly and she was grateful for their friendship and loyalty. But they were wounded and their part was done. They needed to heal up and get to safety.

"You've done enough. Just get to safety," said Artemis. "Go."

"Okay. Be safe," said Erica, as she and Boyd departed.

Once they were gone, Kali and Artemis crept inside the darkened building. They came upon a corner and then dodged a blow from Ethan and Aiden, who were badly injured from the fight but still possessed enough strength _to _fight.

"Stop fighting us and just give us the girl!" they roared. "We're trying not to hurt you!"

"Why don't you try some of this?" yelled Melissa. She had appeared out of nowhere and then she zapped the twins with a set of paddles, causing them to fall to the floor in agony as they separated from each other and slipped into unconsciousness.

Kali looked at her mother with awe and respect. "Mother, you…you're amazing."

"_Totally _amazing," said Artemis, in agreement.

Melissa smiled and shrugged. "All in a night's work. Now, what say we get out of here before they wake up?"

The two sisters agreed and then they got away as quickly as possible.

"What happened with Deucalion?" asked Artemis, when they were a safe distance away.

"I don't know. After he made me kill the power, he let me go. He said it was a gesture of goodwill. Deucalion gave no other reason," said Melissa.

"Then it must one he didn't tell you about. Deucalion wouldn't have let you go without a reason," said Kali, solemnly. "He _always _has a reason."

"Let's not find out, shall we? We need to get the power back on or Jennifer's dead and along with Derek and the sheriff," said Artemis.

Artemis was also worried, but Deucalion was the least of her concerns. Artemis then stopped Melissa when she heard a gun clicking. Carefully, Artemis and Kali looked around the corner, prepared for another fight, but then they relaxed when they saw it was just Alison, Chris and Isaac.

"Thank goodness," said Artemis, relieved. "You've no idea how glad I am to see you guys."

"Feeling's mutual. What's happened?" asked Isaac.

"I'll fill you in on the way," said Kali, as they went somewhere quieter to talk. She filled them in on what had occurred since they'd arrived at the hospital.

Chris frowned after Kali finished the explanation. "So, they're trapped?"

"Until we get the power back on, yeah," said Artemis.

"But if we get the power back on and they get free, we'll be letting Deucalion and the twins know where they are," pointed out Isaac.

"Which can't happen," said Artemis, grimly. "Deucalion wants Jennifer dead. If he and the twins find Peter and Jennifer, they'll kill her. Derek and Stiles' dad will be lost to us. And we can't get into another fight with Ethan and Aiden. We've barely survived the last two and while I'm glad you're here, it's too big of a risk for you to fight them too!"

There was a moment's tense silence before Alison broke it.

"Wait, I've got it," said Alison. "They're looking for Jennifer and she smells human, right? So, what if we let them think I'm Jennifer and I lure them outside and we take them down with arrows and guns, and then you guys can get the power back on and get Jennifer out of here."

Everyone stared at her.

"That might be insane enough to work," said Chris.

"But only if I go with you," said Kali, firmly. "You'll need backup if this doesn't work." And what better backup could there be than a powerful Alpha like Kali?

Chris and Alison agreed and then they set their plan in motion.

XXX

By now, Derek had been taken away.

Isaac was given the keys to Chris's car and was waiting for Alison and Kali to appear so he could drive them away. Chris was also waiting on the hospital grounds with his guns ready. After receiving the text from Artemis informing them of the plan, Peter opened the elevator doors all the way and the noise caught the attention of the twins, who were patrolling the hospital.

It didn't take long for them to find what they thought was Kali escorting Jennifer out of the hospital. As soon as Kali and Alison were outside the building, (the storm was over by now) the twins leapt out of one of the windows and launched their attack. But they were caught off guard when they saw they'd been tricked. Kali lashed out at them with her fangs and claws, Alison with her special arrows and Chris with his guns. It drove the twins away and allowed Kali, Chris and Alison to escape when Isaac drove by with the car.

Meanwhile, Melissa ran back up to the roof and got the power back on, activating the elevator. But when Artemis ran for the elevator, she was both shocked and horrified to see Peter lying on the floor unconscious and Jennifer was gone. The elevator shaft was open, which meant only one thing.

"Mom," gasped Artemis. It was then that Artemis realized that the last sacrifice was guardians, but not guardians as in law enforcement. Guardians as in _parental _guardians. Melissa was going to be one of the last of the sacrifices.

Praying she wasn't too late, Artemis ran as fast as she could to the roof.

"Mom? MOM!" yelled Artemis.

But Melissa was nowhere in sight and Artemis couldn't pick up a scent because of all the heavy rainfall that had just occurred.

"They're gone."

Artemis spun around to see Deucalion behind her, looking both apologetic and smug.

"Guardians, Artemis," said Deucalion. "If your traitor of a sister had stuck around or if you'd joined me, I could've warned you what it meant."

Artemis scoffed in disbelief. "You would've warned me. Yeah, right. I don't believe you. What do you want, Deucalion?"

"Well, since you've asked, I want to propose we make a pact," said Deucalion. "If you let me, I'll help you find Jennifer or Julia or whatever her name is. This will help you find your mother and the good sheriff all in the name of stopping the Darach."

Artemis refused to believe this. Deucalion wouldn't make such an offer to her unless he had something gain from it besides Jennifer's death and she knew what it was. "You're lying. You're not doing this out of the goodness of your heart. You just want me to finish my ascension from Beta to True Alpha and join your pack." She wasn't going to work with Deucalion, except on the battlefield. She wasn't going to join him no matter what he offered. She would find Melissa her own way, without Deucalion's help.

Deucalion looked offended. "You question my honor? I'm hurt," he said, not sounding hurt at all. "But I would advise you to consider my offer at least. After all, the enemy of my enemy is—"

"Let's get one thing straight here," interrupted Artemis, angrily. She wasn't going to let him finish that sentence. "We are _never _friends. Our interests align, temporarily. Nothing more. If either of us actually manages to acquire some information, then we'll meet on the battlefield to stop her, but otherwise, I don't want _anything _to do with you, Deucalion. And when this is over, I want you out of my life and I _never _want to see you again."

Deucalion was quiet for a moment as he tightly gripped his cane. He gripped it so hard, his knuckles turned white and his claws punctured the skin of his palm.

"Very well, Artemis," said Deucalion, with barely controlled anger. "We have a deal." He reached into his pocket and gave her a slip of paper with a telephone number on it. "This is my number. Use it call me if you decide not to howl. And know this, Artemis: the Darach's actions are having an effect on your home. When this is over, Beacon Hills will be a beacon once more and you may require my help. Think about that and see if you'll still want me gone when this is over."

"I will," said Artemis. The sounds of police sirens then hit her ears. "Go. I'll hold off the police. Just go."

Deucalion did as she asked.


	11. Alpha Pact

**Alpha Pact**

After Deucalion left, Artemis ran back to the elevator and began to wake up Peter. She had to get him awake and out of the hospital before the police showed up. She was going to be the one to hold them off until she could rejoin the others.

"Peter, wake up!" yelled Artemis, as she shook him. "Wake up! _Wake up!_" But when he didn't wake, Artemis punched him in the face.

"Ow!" said Peter, as he woke up. He looked dazed and confused for a moment before he remembered what was happening. "Where's Jennifer?"

"She's gone, Peter," said Artemis. "Jennifer escaped and if that's not bad enough, she took my mother! If we don't find her, Stiles' dad and my mom are going to be sacrificed as guardians!"

Peter looked both furious and upset. "I'll kill her."

"You can kill her later. The police are going to be here any minute and you can't be seen. You're dead, remember? I'll hold them off, but you've got to get out of here," said Artemis. "You need to leave."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis slung Peter's arm over her shoulder and helped him walk to the nearest exit. By the time they arrived, Peter's strength was back and he took the chance to leave before he was spotted.

Artemis then went to the reception and called Stiles, telling him of what had happened with Jennifer and Melissa, and also about Alison's surname being spray painted on the elevator doors. Once that was done, there was nothing left to do except wait for the police to arrive. When they did, Artemis looked and felt a surge of anger at the sight of a man she hadn't seen in over a decade and nor did she ever want to.

It was her father, Agent Moon of the F.B.I.

Artemis wasn't in the mood for dealing with her father and nor did she wish to. She had enough on her plate as it was without her paranoid, workaholic jerk of a father adding to it all. But she knew she had no choice but to get through whatever questions he had for her as quickly as possible so she could resume her work.

When Artemis's eyes met her father's, he didn't seem at all surprised to see her. In fact, he looked like he'd expected it and he seemed somewhat pleased to see her

"Artemis," said Agent Moon. "Why am I not surprised to find you in the middle of all this mess?"

Artemis gave him a sarcastic smile. "What can I say, sir? Finding trouble's my natural talent," she said.

Agent Moon didn't look at all amused. "Think you can answer some questions without the sarcasm and actually cooperate with me? I don't want to have to drag my own daughter into an interrogation room."

Artemis glared at him. "Don't _ever _refer to me as your daughter again! I don't want anything to do with you. You gave up any rights you had to me a long time ago."

Artemis was right. Agent Moon had given up his legal parental rights after the divorce. But even before that had occurred, as far as Artemis was concerned, Agent Moon was her father by blood, but Dr. Deaton would always be her dad in the ways that mattered most.

Agent Moon's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue with her. "Do you know where Sheriff Stilinski is? No one's been able to contact him."

"No. I don't know where he is," said Artemis. It wasn't a lie. She had no clue as to the sheriff's whereabouts. But that would change soon if she had any say in it. "I haven't seen him in hours. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Where's your sister, Kalika?" asked Agent Moon.

With great difficulty, Artemis managed to keep a straight face as she feigned ignorance regarding her sister's whereabouts.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Last time I checked, Kalika died in the woods from an animal attack after you drove her away." Artemis had never fully forgiven her father for his role in Kali's disappearance.

Agent Moon looked stern. "Don't lie to me, Artemis. I've heard all the rumors and eyewitness accounts. I know your sister's alive. Where is she?"

"I don't know," said Artemis, angrily as she stood up. This was one of those few times when Artemis lost her temper and lashed out. "But if Kali is alive, then I fail to see how it concerns you. She'd be well over adult age by now and unless she did something illegal, which I sincerely doubt she did, you have no right to her. Kali ran off because _you _were going to make her life miserable and if she is alive, then I pray she's as far away from you as possible because she deserves better than you!"

For a moment there was tense, angry silence between father and daughter and they were both glaring at each other with an intense fury.

"Anything else you want to know?" demanded Artemis.

"Yes. What the devil happened here?" asked Agent Moon. His tone implied he was barely controlling his anger.

"I don't know," lied Artemis. "I came here to pick up my sick boyfriend, but his sister already took him home. I got stuck in the elevators and couldn't get out until the power came back on. That's all I know. Satisfied?"

"No, it isn't," said Agent Moon, sternly. He folded his arms across his chest. "Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something that could be useful to this investigation?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. Granted that Agent Moon was correct about her withholding information, but she wasn't about to tell Agent Moon anything. He didn't know about the supernatural world Artemis was a part of and she wasn't about to tell him when he'd done nothing to deserve her trust.

"Maybe because you're an F.B.I. agent and are instinctively paranoid and suspicious of everyone you know," said Artemis, dryly.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But my instincts are usually spot on. Do you have any idea that there have been a number of deaths connected your school for the past few months?"

"Yes, I'm aware," said Artemis, through gritted teeth. "But it's got nothing to do with me or my friends or my boyfriend, if that's what you're getting at."

Agent Moon raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You sure about that? Because I'm not." He pulled out his notebook and held up a list of names, all of them Artemis's associates. "I've been hearing things about your boyfriend, Derek Hale, and your little clique—Stiles, Alison Argent, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Jackson Whittmore, and Ethan and Aiden. The stories are quite interesting."

"Are they? I had no idea," said Artemis, sarcastically. She was well aware of all their pasts and the rumors flying around, but she couldn't have cared less. It wasn't any business of her father's who Artemis associated with and nor was it his place to interfere in their lives when no crime had been committed by them.

"Frankly, I'm surprised you're in a relationship with Derek Hale of all men," said Agent Moon, ignoring Artemis's sarcasm. "From what I know, he's older than you and he doesn't exactly have the best of backgrounds."

Artemis scoffed. She wasn't entirely surprised by what she was hearing, given how she knew what kind of man her father was, but that didn't make her at all happy to hear it.

"So, you ran a background check on my boyfriend and my friends. Why am I not surprised?" said Artemis, sarcastically. "But you know what, those people aren't my _clique_. They're practically my family." Ethan and Aiden weren't that close, but the others were to Artemis and that was more than she could say for her father. "And whatever you think you have on Derek, it's not going to change my opinion of him. I know what kind of man Derek is, and it's a far better one than you could ever hope to be."

Ever since Artemis had first met Derek, he had always looked after her, protected her and cared about her. He'd never judged Artemis, driven the ones she loved away or forced her to do something she didn't want to do. Derek had gone up against his own kin just to keep Artemis safe and was also willing to die for Artemis because he loved her. Derek had taken in lost souls and given them a home, a family and someone to look up to and protect them. So, what right had Agent Moon to judge Derek?

"So, if this is your way to suddenly act like a protective father and tell me Derek's not good enough for me, you can save your breath. I love Derek and he loves me. We're not breaking up, not for you, not for anyone!" said Artemis.

Agent Moon glared at Artemis. "Now, wait a minute, young lady! I'm your father—"

"I'm not finished!" yelled Artemis, angrily. She was furious with him. What right had Agent Moon to come back into her life after over a decade of no contact and pretend to be the dad he never was? "You can't just waltz back in here after a decade and pretend you know anything about me or my life, because you don't. You may be my father, but my boss, Doctor Deaton, has been more of a dad to me than you will _ever_ be! So, do me a favor and stay out of my personal life. I've gotten along fine without you for the past decade. I don't need you."

Artemis knew she was being harsh, but she knew everything she said was true. Even before Artemis started her job at the vet's, Doctor Deaton had always shown kindness to Artemis. He'd listened to her and given her advice when she needed it, he'd come to her lacrosse games even when she was benched because he wanted to support her, he'd helped her with her lycanthropy and been a fantastic mentor to her, he'd given her comfort and encouragement when she was struggling with life, he'd given her a job and taught her things, and he had looked after her like a dad was supposed to.

Deaton had done all of that and the one man in Artemis's life that was supposed to do all of that, hadn't. That spoke volumes regarding Agent Moon's skills as a parent.

Agent Moon was quiet for a moment and for the briefest of moments, Artemis thought she saw tears in his eyes, but they disappeared quickly.

"You should get to school," said Agent Moon, quietly. "You don't want to be late."

Artemis was surprised by her father's sudden change in attitude, but didn't question it. She just left without looking back. She had no regrets over what went down between her and her father. Agent Moon was her blood-kin, but that didn't make him family.

XXX

After receiving Artemis's phone call informing him of Melissa's abduction, Stiles met up with Alison and Chris at their home and told them of the tragic news and also of the highly likely possibility that Chris was going to be Jennifer's next target.

Needless to say, Chris was skeptical about it. "…word is 'guardian,' Alison. It's a word I haven't exactly lived up to lately."

"Rubbish!" said Alison. When had her dad ever not acted like a guardian? Chris was always looking after his family and tried to protect others. "Besides, Jennifer took Stiles' dad and Artemis and Kali's mom. That's _not _a coincidence!"

"Yeah, and I'd also consider the fact that someone put your surname up in large block letters on the elevator doors," said Stiles. "That kind of felt like a warning to me."

"I think it might've been Morrell," admitted Alison. "Kali said that she's been trying to maintain balance and protect Artemis since all this happened. It stands to reason that she might've been trying to warn us. She knows a lot more than she lets on."

"Well, that may be. But she could've done a better job of it," said Stiles, bitterly. Stiles wasn't all that fond of Miss Morrell's methods of late. While she had done good by sending Braeden to rescue Isaac, Stiles wished that Morrell had just spoken up instead continually sneaking around as she had. "And if Morrell knows anything else, then she needs to get on it a lot quicker seeing as how the lunar eclipse is _tonight_ and if we can't stop Jennifer by then, both Deucalion and Artemis's packs are going to be easy pickings for her."

Chris's face softened. Chris knew that Stiles was just lashing out of worry for his father. "Stiles, don't give up hope."

Stiles sighed as he buried his face in his hands for a moment. "How can I not? My dad and Melissa could already be dead for all we know."

"I don't think so," said Chris. "There's something about Jennifer's tactics, like she's still positioning pieces into place on the board.

"And you're one of them," said Alison, quietly. Alison's fear was understandable. Chris was the only immediate family by blood that Alison had left. The last thing she wanted was to lose her dad.

Chris smirked. "Then let's not wait around to see her next move." He then pulled out his maps and papers from his desk. "Everything Jennifer's done has been on a telluric current and I'm better that Melissa and the sheriff are on one of those currents."

Stiles stared at Chris like he'd just gone insane. "You seriously want to go after her? She's killed twelve people and has enough power to take down a pack of werewolves! What if she just takes you like the others? No offense, but what's the difference between you and the other people she's sacrificed?"

Chris pulled out a gun and cocked it. "I'm carrying a .45," he said. "Let's see how well Jennifer can heal from what I have planned for her." He put down his gun. "Listen, we've got one priority right now and that's to find Melissa and your dad. We've got a map and every clue we need to figure this out. The only we don't have is time, which is why I need both of you to help me."

Stiles and Alison exchanged looks and then sighed as they nodded. They would help Chris, but neither of them could shake the feeling this was going to end _very _badly.

"Where do we start?" asked Stiles.

Chris smiled and then began pointing to and marking certain areas on his map as he spoke. "The places that the sacrifices have been committed have usually been very different from where the bodies have been found. I think the placement has to do with the strength of the current. So, there's the school, the animal clinic, and the bank."

Stiles frowned in thought. "Wait a minute, she wouldn't use the same place twice, would she?"

"Only if she didn't succeed the first time," said Chris, gravely. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the bank was where Deaton was found and rescued before the sacrifice could be completed. That was her failure and it could mean something."

"But that's just one place," pointed out Stiles. "We're going to need a lot more help."

"What about Lydia?" asked Alison. "Didn't Artemis say that Jennifer called Lydia a banshee?"

Chris looked surprised. "Lydia's a banshee?" Out of all the creatures in Beacon Hills, a banshee hadn't been one Chris thought he'd encounter.

Stiles nodded. "That's what Jennifer called her. But it makes sense when you think about it. According to myth, banshees can instinctively sense death and Lydia's been finding the bodies without actually intending to find them. Lydia might have an idea of where the next sacrifices are going to take place." Not to mention, Lydia had been the only one to sense that something was wrong at the Motel Glen Capri and she was the only one to sense the deaths that had taken place there.

"That settles it. Stiles, talk to Lydia. See what she knows," said Chris. He then took out his armory of weapons and began picking which ones he wanted to take with him. Alison did the same with her bows, arrows and daggers.

"I thought you guys were retired," said Stiles, as he eyed their equipment.

"Retired, yes. Defenseless, no," said Chris. Only a fool went unprepared for what lay ahead when he knew what was out there. It never hurt to be cautious. "Make sure your phone's If Artemis or Kali call with any further information, you let us know immediately. Alison and I are going to head to the bank."

"Is there room for one more?"

They all turned around to see Isaac standing in the doorway.

"Isaac, what're you doing here?" asked Chris.

"I'm here because I want to help," said Isaac. And also because he wanted to protect Alison from Jennifer. "I don't know how to use a gun or fire a crossbow, but I'm getting good with these." Isaac briefly extended his claws and flexed them for his friends and girlfriend to see. "So, can I come?"

"Fine," said Chris, nodding. "We can use all the help we can get. Come on."

And with that, Isaac and the Argents departed for the bank.

XXX

When they arrived at the bank, they went into the bank vault and it was devoid of life as well as very dark.

They were all on guard and kept looking over their shoulders as they prepared for Jennifer to make an appearance and make her next move.

"It's empty," said Alison. "Isaac, do you hear anything?"

Isaac shook his head. "Just us and I'm not picking up a scent, either."

"Be careful anyway," said Chris, as he pulled out a stun gun and switched it on.

Isaac frowned at the sight of it. "I thought you only used those on werewolves."

"I do." Chris quickly jabbed Isaac in the chest with the stun gun, which caused Isaac to fall to the ground in agony. Chris then pulled out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Alison to the wall. "I'm sorry, but this is necessary."

"For what?" demanded Alison, shocked by his behavior. "What the heck are you doing?"

"You're just going to have to trust me on this," said Chris. He whipped out his gun and began walking towards the door of the vault. "I knew for a long time she didn't just operate on the telluric currents. She's in synch with them."

"What a clever hunter you are," said Jennifer, as she appeared. She made her way into the vault and looked pleased at Chris dropping his gun and offering himself to her. "Now, _this _is a sacrifice. One I'll gladly accept." Jennifer then revealed her true Darach face and then she disappeared with Chris.

"DAD!" cried Alison, as tears slid down her cheeks.

But it was too late, Chris was gone just like Melissa and the sheriff. Jennifer now had her third and final guardian.

When Isaac recovered from the stun gun's attack, he got up and broke Alison's bonds. It caused her to fall into his arms and for a moment, neither of them moved.

"Why did he do that?" whimpered Alison, as tears came to her eyes.

"Because your dad loves you and he didn't want you to get hurt," said Isaac, softly. It was easy to guess Chris's motives. Chris was a dad who wanted to protect his daughter. "We'll find him, Alison, I promise. Chris will have some way for us to track him down, we just need to find it. Right now, we need to go. We need to find Artemis and the others."

Instead of leaving, Alison held Isaac's hands in hers and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "They're all going to die. Aren't they?"

Isaac didn't reply. He just held Alison tight in his arms as she let loose a few tears.

"Isaac, if we don't make it through this…" said Alison, as they broke apart. "I want you to know that I love you."

Isaac's heart leapt at this, for he'd fallen in love with Alison quite some time ago and but had lacked the courage to tell her how he felt as he feared she didn't reciprocate his feelings. He then cupped her face in his hands and they shared a tender kiss.

"I love you too," breathed Isaac, as they broke apart.

Alison smiled through her tears and then kissed Isaac once more before they left the vault and texted Stiles of what had just occurred.

XXX

Chris inhaled sharply as he came back to consciousness.

When Jennifer had taken him, she'd knocked him out and now he was awake.

"You okay over there?"

Chris looked and saw that not only was he tied up to a pole, but so was the sheriff and Melissa. They both looked unharmed, thank heavens, but they were still trapped and if they didn't get out of there soon, they weren't going to see tomorrow's sunrise.

"I'm fine. I've been through worse," said Chris.

"I'm not surprised," said Melissa. "Do you know where we are, Chris?"

Chris nodded. He recognized this place as he'd been here once before. He wasn't too pleased to be back, to be quite honest. "We're in what they call a Nemeton. It's a sacred place for druids."

"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Sheriff Stilinski. "Druids, werewolves, kanimas, hunters. What's next?"

Chris stared at the sheriff. "You know about all of that?"

"The day Deaton was kidnapped, he made her tell him what's been happening lately," explained Melissa. "I've been filling him in on stories she's told me while we've been stuck down here."

Chris sighed. "Should've known." Artemis's secret was turning out to be the worst-kept one in the history of badly kept secrets, at least in Chris's opinion.

"So, I take it you've been here before?" asked Sheriff Stilinski.

"Years ago," said Chris. "And we really shouldn't be here." Chris then began to try to escape by pulling his feet towards his hands.

"I really hate to disappoint you, but we watched her take your ankle knife," said Sheriff Stilinski, looking apologetic. "And the knife in your right sleeve, the switchblade in your other sleeve and the taser in your jacket pocket."

Chris didn't reply as he was too busy checking all those areas for his concealed weapons, but then he laid back when he realized that the sheriff was right. Jennifer had taken Chris's blades that could've helped them escape.

The root cellar door then opened and Jennifer descended the staircase. "Sorry about disarming you, but I prefer to not to make sure there're no loose ends. Kali taught me that."

Chris glared at Jennifer, as did Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa.

"You know, I think it's poetic that your surname's Argent," said Jennifer, as she knelt in front of Chris. "It's French for 'silver.' It's interesting how truth is altered by legend, when it's not the metal silver that kills werewolves, but the people who bear its name. You have a code, don't you? '_We hunt those who hunt us.' _I hope you don't mind that I borrow it for a while, seeing as how I'm being hunted myself."

"Don't pretend like we have the same cause!" growled Chris. He was well-informed of Jennifer's past and he had no pity for her. "I don't murder innocent people and I didn't force an innocent girl into a kill or be killed situation."

"That's why they call it a _sacrifice_," hissed Jennifer. "As for Kali, she deserved what I did to her. She betrayed me first, so I responded in kind. And as for the sacrifices, I wish it worked another way, but it doesn't. Think about what I'm doing, Chris. I'm making this town, this world, safer from creatures like _her _daughters." Jennifer cast a spiteful glare at Melissa. "You protect humans from werewolves. How is what I'm doing any different?"

"I know where to draw the line," said Chris, coldly. "And I don't take vengeance. You know nothing about honor or protecting lives. You're just as evil as some of the things I've hunted. What Kali does to you, you deserve it."

Jennifer looked at him coldly as she rose up. "We'll see about that." She then left the room and Chris resumed his search through his sleeves for something that could be used to help them.

"If you're trying to escape, don't both. Melissa and I have been trying the same thing for hours. We can't break free," said Sheriff Stilinski.

"It's not the first time I've been tied up, like this," said Chris. And it wouldn't be the last, but breaking free wasn't what he was trying to do. "But it's not what I'm doing. Got it!" Chris's face lit up when he managed to procure the device from his sleeve.

Melissa looked puzzled. "What's that?"

"It's an ultrasonic emitter. It's a smaller version of what we use to corral werewolves. It makes a noise only they can hear. Usually, it's used to push them away, but hopefully it'll draw the ones in Artemis's pack near," explained Chris.

He switched it on and then they waited.

XXX

When Artemis finally got to school, it was almost noon and she wasn't in a good moon. She was stressed and feeling panicked. And considering all the turmoil in her life, it was no wonder.

Jennifer had two out of three guardians, Chris was likely going to be the third one, Jennifer and her hostages were missing, Derek was dying and Artemis couldn't be with him because she had to protect their pack like he would want her to, Deucalion was still out there with plans for Artemis, and then there was the problems that came with Artemis's father being back in town.

"Arty? Arty, hey!" said Stiles, snapping her out of her thoughts. He'd come up to her to talk, but hadn't gotten her attention until now. "What's up? I've been trying to reach you all morning."

Artemis winced as she checked her phone, which had been off just a minute ago and saw that numerous messages had been left. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to be out of reach. I just…" she sighed. "My father's here. We had a little talk at the hospital."

Stiles winced. "Yikes. That's not good," he said. He was well aware of the kind of man Artemis's father was. Stiles often wondered how such a world-class jerk was related to his best friend. "Was it a talk or a yelling match?"

"Talk on his part, yelling on mine. I didn't wolf out, but I definitely lost my temper with him," admitted Artemis. She really didn't want to go into her reunion with her father. "It doesn't matter right now. We've got bigger things to worry about than _him_. Did you find out anything?"

"Yeah. We think we might've found a location, so Chris went with Isaac and Alison to check it out. They—hang on." Stiles' phone vibrated, signaling a text message. When Stiles checked it, he paled and looked upset.

Artemis frowned in worry when she heard Stiles' heartbeat quicken with fear and she smelled the fear scent emitting from him. "Stiles, what's happened?"

"It…it's from Isaac. Jennifer took Chris," said Stiles, looking shaken as he pocketed his phone. "Jennifer's got all three."

Stiles then began shaking and hyperventilating.

_Crap_. Artemis knew what was happening. Stiles was having a panic attack and judging by the looks of it, it was going to be a very bad one.

Quickly, Artemis grabbed Stiles' hand and dragged him into the thankfully empty locker room, after getting Stiles seated on the floor; Artemis grabbed her bottle of panic away pills from her pocket. (Artemis kept a bottle on hand in case of emergencies like this) She opened it, broke a pill in half and managed to get to Stiles to swallow it with some water.

"Stiles, look at me! _Look _at me!" said Artemis, as she held Stiles' face in her hands. The pill took time to take effect, which was why Stiles was still panicking. "It's going to be okay, Stiles. Just breathe. I'm here and I won't leave you. Just breathe."

Stiles's breathing began to slow down, but he didn't cease panicking. He wrapped his arm around Artemis and held her so tight, she almost couldn't breathe. But Artemis wasn't complaining. She just returned the embrace as she tried to help him. Stiles had stuck by her side throughout all the insanity that was their lives and had saved her at the Motel Glen Capri. Helping her brother in all but blood with a panic attack was the least she could do for Stiles.

"It's okay, Stiles. It's okay," murmured Artemis, as she rubbed soothing circles on his back and rocked him in her arms. "I'm here. I won't leave, I promise."

After a few more moments, the pill took effect and Stiles pulled away. He'd calmed down and was giving Artemis grateful looks.

"Thanks," said Stiles, softly. "I needed that."

Artemis smiled as she helped him stand up. "Anytime."

Just then, the door swung open and Jackson and Lydia came into the locker room and were followed by Isaac, Alison, Boyd and Erica. Lydia was holding her notebook in her hands and she looked almost excited.

"Guys, we think we found something," said Jackson. "Tell them."

"Tell us what?" asked Artemis.

"Miss Blake said I'm a banshee and that's how I keep sensing death. I think I finally figured out something. Ever since this all started, I've been drawing the same tree over and over again," said Lydia. "Take a look. Whenever I draw this, I feel like something's going to happen there. It can't be a coincidence."

Artemis took the notebook and flipped through the pages. Lydia was right. Every single tree drawing was exactly the same. Artemis then frowned.

"Wait, this isn't a tree." She flipped the notebook upside down and then they all saw it. "This is the root cellar. It's the Nemeton."

Stiles looked flabbergasted. "That's where Derek took Paige to die."

"And since it's a sacred place for druids and blood gives the Nemeton power, I'll bet that's where Jennifer took the guardians," said Artemis.

"So, how do we find it?" asked Boyd.

"Derek took me there last time he visited. I remember where it is," said Artemis. "Does anyone have a map?"

Erica had one in her bag for her geography class. She took it out and unfolded it onto the locker room floor. Artemis then took out a pen from her bag and marked the route to the Nemeton on the map.

"The Nemeton's right here. It's not far from where Peter turned me. You can't miss it. It's a huge tree stump and the root cellar door will be right behind it," said Artemis. "But knowing Jennifer, she'll probably it booby-trapped, so we'll have to be careful."

"That goes without saying," said Erica.

Just then, Artemis's cell phone went off. She answered it and heard Cora's voice.

"_Artemis, you need to get over here now. We've got a problem. It's Kali,_" said Cora.

Artemis's heart skipped a beat in worry. "What's wrong?"

"_I'm not sure. She just came over and claims she's found a way to save Derek. She and Peter are blocking me out and what little I can hear doesn't sound good. I think she's going to do something drastic,_" said Cora.

"I'm on my way," said Artemis. She hung up. "I need to get to Derek's. Kali's in trouble and she might need my help."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis took off for Derek's apartment and was followed by Stiles and the pack. When she got to Derek's bedroom, she heard Kali's painful cry and saw her eyes turn from searing red to bright blue.

"KALI!" yelled Artemis, as she ran to her sister's side.

But Kali just collapsed in Artemis's arms. She was out cold and it worried Artemis.

What had Kali done?

XXX

Meanwhile, Derek was lying in his bed at his apartment.

Derek was no longer vomiting, but his condition hadn't improved. If anything, he was getting worse. His skin was on fire, his breathing was labored and he was completely unconscious. Cora and the other Betas had tended to him with the utmost care until Cora asked to be left alone with her brother and promised to call them if Derek's condition worsened or improved. Out of respect for their Alpha's sister, the Betas had obeyed but there was great reluctance in their departure.

Cora wiped her brother's fevered brow with a cold, damp rag for a few moments before she began taking away his pain just as Derek had taught her. It wasn't long before Derek's pained breathing began to even out. He wasn't out of the woods, but she had made him feel a little better.

Cora then rose up and went to get another blanket out of Derek's closet. She'd just pulled one out when she saw a small black velvet box nestled in between the blankets. Cora dropped the blanket she was holding and took the box out to examine it.

Tears came to her eyes when she saw what was inside the box: an engagement ring that was clearly meant for Artemis. Cora's heart broke at the idea of Derek dying before he got the chance to propose to the one he loved.

"Cora, I—what's wrong?" asked Peter. He'd just entered the room and saw that her back was to him, but she was shaking with sobs.

Cora turned to face him and showed him the ring box. "Did you know Derek was planning to propose to Artemis?" she choked out.

"No, but I'm not surprised," admitted Peter. He wasn't blind when it came to Artemis and Derek's relationship. His face softened at the tears on his niece's face and he held out his arms for her. "Come here."

Despite not liking or trusting her uncle, Cora accepted Peter's offer as she needed to be held and she needed a shoulder to cry on for a minute. She returned the ring box to where she'd found it and then allowed Peter to hold her tight.

Peter wrapped his arms around Cora as she buried her face in his chest. He rubbed soothing circles on her back as she cried.

A knock on the door caused them to break apart. They turned around to see Kali standing in the doorway.

"We really need to get better locks on the door," muttered Peter.

"What're you doing here, Kali?" asked Cora, ignoring Peter.

Kali folded her arms across her chest. "I'm here because I think I can save Derek."

Peter and Cora stared at Kali in disbelief.

"You can save him? How?" demanded Cora. If this was true, why hadn't Kali even tried to save Derek's life at the hospital or said anything before? "I thought Jennifer was the only one who could save Derek."

"She lied. After what happened at the hospital, I went back home and looked over my old Alpha's journals. Luna knew of a way for Alphas to save their pack mates from the brink of death. She hadn't done it herself, but she'd witnessed it herself and knew how it was done," said Kali.

Peter's eyes widened as he caught on. "Wait, are you telling me that old method actually _works? _I thought it was just a rumor."

"_What _was a rumor?" demanded Cora. She hated being left out of the loop like this. What were they talking about? Didn't they think Cora had a right to know what might be able to save Derek? Cora was his sister, for heaven's sake!

Peter sighed as he rubbed the space in between his eyes and before he spoke to Cora. "Cora, I need to have a chat with Kali, alone."

Cora looked furious. "Like heck. I'm not—"

"_Now!_" snarled Kali, as her eyes flashed their Alpha red.

Cora took the hint and left, but as soon as she was out of the room, she made a call to Artemis's cell phone.

As soon as Cora had left, Peter turned to Kali. "So, it's definitely true?"

Kali nodded. "It's something only an Alpha can do, but yes."

"With good reason," said Peter, sternly. "Do you know what you'll be sacrificing if you go through with this? How do you know it's within your right as an Alpha to do this?"

"I'm aware of the price I'll have to pay to save Derek's life. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," said Kali. "Normal wolves never abandon an injured member of their pack. They care for it, give it food, comfort and assist in its healing process both physically and emotionally. I may not have sired Derek, but he is my sister's mate and by family right, he's part of my pack which gives me the right to do what must be done."

Kali had gone through every possible scenario and outcome when she'd discovered how to save her sister's mate. The price she was going to pay was a heavy one, but Kali knew what would happen if she didn't go through with it. Artemis would lose Derek and would probably die with him. Kali might not have liked Derek very much, but she couldn't deny the good he'd done for Artemis and nor could she deny the depth of Artemis and Derek's love for each other. Kali refused to watch her sister endure the grief and agony that would come from losing Derek if he died.

"You sure about that? Think about it," said Peter. "It's that spark of power that makes you an Alpha that'll allow you to do this. When you take Derek's pain, he draws on your power that provides you with those special gifts that heighten your senses and your strength, the power that transforms your body. As an Alpha, you have that bit of extra, that spark that intensifies the color of your eyes from their cold blue into a searing red. Do you understand? If you go through with this, you'll no longer be an Alpha. You'll be a Beta again."

Kali bit back her anger at being lectured like a child and glared at Peter. "I don't care," she hissed. "I'm doing this for Artemis. I know I've made a lot of mistakes and I have a lot to make up for. This is one of the ways I can do that. I lost Ennis, my mate, the only one I'll ever truly love like that in my entire life. I wouldn't wish that kind of grief on anyone, especially not my only sister. If Derek's going to survive, I have to help him."

Peter let out an exasperated noise. He understood Kali's need to sacrifice everything for the sake of her family, and part of him wanted this to happen so that Derek could survive and he wouldn't have to worry about a powerful Alpha after him anymore, but another part of him feared the outcome of the battle with Jennifer if Kali wasn't a powerful Alpha anymore.

"Did it never occur to you that maybe this is what Jennifer wants?" he hissed. "Maybe this was what she intended to have happen at the hospital. She would've known you'd be willing to do anything to save Derek because you love your sister, including sacrificing your power as an Alpha. You really think you can fight her on the battlefield as a Beta and survive? How can you protect Artemis from Jennifer or the Alpha pack that way?"

"I don't _care!_" snarled Kali. She sat down on Derek's bed and took Derek's hand in hers. He was fading fast and wouldn't last much longer unless Kali did what she'd come to do. "I protected Artemis before I was an Alpha and I can do it again. And if helping Artemis means giving up my Alpha status to save the one she loves, then so be it."

Kali never thought she'd be making such a sacrifice, as she had loved being an Alpha, but being back with Artemis had changed her in ways she hadn't thought possible. Kali would do anything for Artemis, even if it meant giving up her own life. If Kali's life was the price to be paid for Derek's, then Kali could rest in peace knowing that he'd be there to protect and love Artemis when Kali couldn't. And maybe by doing this, Kali could start to redeem herself for all the pain she'd caused.

Kali tightly grasped Derek's hand in hers and then she let out a roar of pain as black veins appeared on her hands and arms and her eyes changed from red to blue.

Kali then passed out when the door opened and she heard Artemis's frantic voice call out her name.


	12. Lunar Eclipse

**Lunar Eclipse**

Artemis frantically looked over her unconscious elder sister.

Besides refusing to awaken, Kali appeared to be in good health, but that didn't explain what had just occurred. Why had Kali's eyes changed from red to blue? What the devil had she just done?

Suddenly, Derek inhaled sharply and he sat up in his bed. He no longer smelled of sickness or felt like he was near death. He was back to being the picture of health.

"Derek?" murmured Artemis, in disbelief.

"I'm okay," assured Derek. He looked just as surprised as she was, if not more.

The unconscious Kali was then taken away by Peter, who treated her with gentle care while Artemis leapt up and wrapped her arms around Derek in a tight embrace before she showered him with kisses. Artemis was relieved beyond words to see Derek was in good health again.

"I thought I was going to lose you," sobbed Artemis, as tears slid down her cheek. She had been so afraid of losing Derek and worse, not being able to say good-bye if she couldn't save him. "If you ever scare me like that again, I'll kill you, Derek. Promise you'll never do that again."

"Shh…" soothed Derek, as he held her and returned her kisses. "I'm okay, I promise. I would _never _leave you, Huntress. Not ever."

Artemis smiled through her tears as she touched his face. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," said Derek, as they kissed again.

Artemis slipped her hand into his and then they rejoined the others in the living room. Everyone was relieved to see that Derek was all right again, especially Isaac, who hadn't wanted to lose the closest thing he had to a dad.

"You're okay. But how?" asked Isaac.

"You can thank Kali for that," said Peter, glancing at Kali, who was starting to awaken from her place on the couch. "Apparently, There's a way for Alphas to save their fellow wolves from the brink of death, but there's a cost. Kali sacrificed her Alpha status to save Derek's life."

Artemis stared at her sister in stunned disbelief. "You gave up being an Alpha to save Derek? Why?"

"Because I didn't want you to lose Derek like I lost Ennis," said Kali, tiredly. "I failed you once. I couldn't do it again."

Artemis held her sister tight against her. "You could never fail me," she murmured.

Kali returned the embrace for a few moments before they broke apart.

"Thank you," said Derek, gratefully. "I owe you one now."

"Just take of my sister and we'll call it even," said Kali. As far as Kali was concerned, as long as Derek looked after and loved Artemis, any debt between them was settled. "I may not be an Alpha anymore, but I can still fight. I just need a little time to regain my strength."

"You'd better be right, Kali," said Peter, coldly. "Because a little time's all we have left. The lunar eclipse is in less than three hours and you've drained your battery all the way to the red and there's a powerful Darach out there who wants us all dead, especially you."

"And I have to let Deucalion know what we've found out," sighed Artemis.

"Deucalion?" said Derek, sharply. "Did you make a deal with him?"

"Not exactly," said Artemis. She filled him in on what had gone down between her and Deucalion on the hospital rooftop. "…and he's expecting me to contact him when we've got a location for the battlefield. I have to tell him."

"Are you insane? Why on _earth _would you want to work with Deucalion?" asked Stiles, as the others nodded in agreement. "It sounds like a deal with the devil to me."

"I don't _want _to work him. But I think we have to," said Artemis. "I don't think we can stop Jennifer without him and the twins. I don't like this anymore than the rest of you do, but we're in for the fight of our lives. We need all the help we can get."

Alison shook her head. "We don't need his. Would one of you please tell her she's wrong?" She glanced at Peter, Kali and Derek as she said this.

"She's not," said Kali.

"Excuse me?" said Isaac, as his eye widened.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," said Peter. "And while none of us are friends with that nutcase, we can't deny that our interests are aligned for the moment. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but circumstances like this sometimes require that we align ourselves with those we consider enemies."

"Much as I hate to admit it, Peter's right," said Derek, sighing. He wasn't happy about this either. "We don't have a choice. We need Deucalion's help if we're going to stop the Darach and save Melissa and the others."

"So, we're just going to blindly trust the Demon Wolf who calls himself the Destroyer of Worlds?" said Erica, in disbelief.

"We're not going to trust him, no," said Artemis. "But we can use him to our advantage and use him for bait. Plus, if Deucalion tries anything, we know his weakness."

"And what would that be?" asked Stiles.

Kali smirked. "Deucalion's not always blind."

"He can see when he's wolfed out," explained Artemis. "Which is why I was hoping for a couple of flash grenades."

"Sure," said Alison. She fished through her supplies and tossed Artemis two of them, which Artemis pocketed.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Ethan and Aiden came in.

"What're you two doing here?" demanded Jackson, as his flashed their werewolf blue. He had a bone to pick with the twins and would gladly fight them if Derek let him.

"Deucalion sent us to help you," said Aiden. "But even if he hadn't asked, we would've come anyway."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Ethan.

Derek, Artemis and Kali exchanged looks and shared a silent conversation before they nodded in agreement.

"Yes. But it'll be dangerous," said Kali. "So, think carefully before you agree."

"We don't care," said Aiden, flatly. "If we don't stop Jennifer, we're dead anyway. So, if there's a chance we can slow her down, we'll do it."

"Okay," said Artemis. She was hesitant to put their lives in danger, but as Aiden had pointed out, they were all dead anyway if they didn't at least try. "Here's what you can do to help us…"

XXX

That night, Ethan and Aiden waited at Derek's apartment for Jennifer to make her move. Jennifer was most likely going to come to Derek's apartment looking for Kali as she had undoubtedly checked Kali's old home and would know that she would've gone to Derek's apartment to heal the Alpha. Derek's apartment was going to be the next battlefield before Jennifer's final showdown with Artemis, Kali, Derek and Deucalion.

Always one for theatrically and dramatics, Jennifer burst into the apartment by jumping through the skylight. The glass shattered and the jump was quite a feat, but Jennifer didn't seem the least bit tired or injured. She just looked cold and determined.

"Where's Kali?" demanded Jennifer.

"How should we know? We're not her keepers," said Ethan, feigning ignorance.

"Actually, I think she said something about running some errands. Getting her nails done or whatever it is she-wolves do," said Aiden.

Jennifer glared at them. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"Someone who's about to regret ever messing with our pack," said Ethan.

He let out a roar as he and Aiden joined bodies and then they attacked Jennifer.

But Jennifer was prepared for them. She managed to dodge or block all of their blows and then she did a move that brought them to the brink of death. Miraculously, Ethan and Aiden survived, but they were unconscious and when they woke up, they would no longer be Alphas, but Betas.

Jennifer looked smug about this and then began creating a powerful storm that would destroy Melissa, Chris and the sheriff. As soon as they were gone, her sacrifices would be complete and she'd have enough power to take anyone who stood in her way.

"Impressive…"

Jennifer spun around and saw Peter standing behind her with his arms folded across his chest. He was looking at her rather coldly.

"I hope you're impressed. Because, I did this for you," said Jennifer.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Me? You've got to be kidding."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" said Jennifer. "Peter, I didn't just do it for you. I did it for both of us, for anyone who's ever been a victim of the Alphas or anyone else who thought they could do what they wanted and not face justice for their crimes."

Peter growled as his eyes flashed blue. "Stop talking to me like a politician! Stop trying to convince me of your cause!"

"Then I'll convince you of someone else's," said Jennifer. "Artemis."

Peter's face softened. "What about her cause?"

"Artemis is fighting to save those she loves. You can save her mother, Stiles' father and Alison's father," said Jennifer.

"Dare I ask how?"

Jennifer smiled as she approached him. "I need a guardian and that's a role that can be filled by either the three parents I've got hidden away that I was forced to snatch or by Derek. His role as an Alpha qualifies him to be a guardian. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Not really, no," said Peter. He narrowed his eyes at her. "And I fail to see how I can help you, Jennifer. I'm just a Beta wolf, one whose powers aren't entirely what they used to be. And why would you need my help when you've clearly proven you can handle yourself against Deucalion's pack? You've already taken down the twins and Kali's not even an Alpha anymore."

Jennifer stared at Peter in disbelief. "Excuse me? How can Kali not be an Alpha?" That wasn't supposed to happen and as far as she knew, it was impossible. Jennifer didn't even know what the consequences would be for the twins when they awoke.

"Kali discovered a way to save Derek. She sacrificed her power to save Derek from your poison," said Peter. "She's still a werewolf, but she's no longer an Alpha. She's just like me, she's just a Beta now."

"But Kali's still dangerous," said Jennifer. "She took down her Alpha and her entire pack when she was still just a Beta. What makes you think she's helpless now? And anyway, I can give you a little power boost. It won't be much, but it'll be sufficient enough to last you until tomorrow's sunrise."

Peter was silent as he contemplated this. "And if I agree to help you, what is it you want from me?"

Jennifer smiled again. She was pleased that he was cooperating. "All you need to do is help me get Deucalion into the right place at the right time. You think Deucalion's powerful now? You haven't seen him at his strongest. I have. And if he's got Derek, Artemis and Kali with him, I don't stand a chance unless I have you. I have the eclipse in my favor, but the moon will only be in the earth's shadow for fifteen minutes. That's the extent of my window of opportunity. There's no time to struggle with a decision. Help me kill him and the others live! Will you help me or not?"

Peter was silent again and then he nodded. "I'll help you."

The expression on Jennifer's face was a mixture of relief and happiness. "Good. Now, let me give you what I promised." She placed her hand on his shoulder and then managed to amplify his power just a little more.

Once that was done, Jennifer slid her hand into Peter's and their fingers intertwined as they departed for the next battlefield.

XXX

Meanwhile, despite the storm raging on, Stiles, Alison and the other Beta wolves journeyed through the woods in search of the Nemeton.

When they'd made their plans, Derek and Artemis had refused to let the other Betas join in the final battle against Jennifer. It was something Artemis had do to with only the aid of a few others and she refused to allow more lives to be risked in the final confrontation. She had also persuaded them to obey her by pointing out that if there was trouble at the Nemeton, Stiles and Alison would need all the help they could get.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" yelled Jackson. He had to yell to be heard over the thunder and wind.

"Positive!" said Stiles. "I remember most of this from the night Peter turned Artemis! We're going the right way, trust me!"

"Can any of you pick up a scent?" asked Alison, as she made her way through some trees and bushes.

"We're trying, but we can't…" Isaac cut himself off and then all the other Betas stopped in their tracks when a noise hit their ears. "Does anyone else hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Stiles.

Neither Stiles nor Alison heard anything other than the storm raging around them and the sounds of their friends' voices.

"That high-pitched noise!" said Cora, wincing as she covered her ears. "What is that?"

"I think it's one of those ultrasonic emitters Chris used to corral you and Boyd," said Erica. "It sounds like it's coming from over here!"

And with that, Erica led the way through the woods until they came upon an enormous tree stump and close behind it was the door to the root cellar just like Artemis had promised there would be.

Everyone's faces lit up at the sight of it. They'd found it!

Quickly, they all ran inside, not knowing of the danger they were in as the forest floor that acted as the root cellar's ceiling began to crumble and sink beneath the earth.

"Dad?" yelled Stiles. "Dad, are you here?"

"We're here!" said Sheriff Stilinski. He was overjoyed to see his son and was on the verge of hysterical, relieved laughter. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"Feeling's mutual," said Stiles. As soon as the sheriff's bonds were cut by Cora, Stiles shared a tight, relieved embrace with his dad. "Please, don't scare me like that again."

"I'll try," said Sheriff Stilinski, smiling.

Alison shared a tearful reunion with her own dad after Isaac cut him loose. "Thank goodness you're okay."

Chris smiled as they embraced. "I knew you'd find us."

"I know. But if you ever do this to me again, I'll kill you," said Alison.

Chris didn't know if she was being serious or not, but decided not to push it.

"Where're Artemis and Kali?" asked Melissa, looking worried as Boyd and Erica cut her free of her bonds. "Where're my daughters?"

"They're with Derek," said Boyd. "Kali managed to heal him and they're meeting up with Deucalion to stop Jennifer for good."

"What?!" exclaimed Melissa, looking both shocked and horrified. "Are they out of their minds? They're going to get themselves killed!"

"Artemis has a plan!" said Erica. "But that's not important right now. We need to get out of here!"

Erica was right, for no sooner had she finished her sentence, the root cellar began to collapse around them thanks to Jennifer's manipulations with nature. Chunks of dirt and rock sank through and caused the shelves in the room to collapse and it wasn't long before the infrastructure followed.

The cellar doors remained open, but the stairs broke like twigs and collapsed to the ground, and then the support beams that kept the root cellar up broke, causing the ceiling to begin to cave in on them. Despite all five Beta wolves joining together to keep them all from dying in a cave-in, it was a lot heavier than even their strength could support and it wasn't long before their strength waned under the pressure.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!" moaned Boyd. "It's too heavy!"

Then, all of a suddenly, Stiles produced an aluminum baseball bat out of nowhere and stuck it in between the ground. It did the trick and kept them from being crushed.

"I always said aluminum was better than wood," said Sheriff Stilinski.

Everyone emitted a weak chuckle at this and they began to relax just a little. They were safe for the moment, but with the storm still raging outside and growing worse with every passing minute and the stairs collapsed, they were trapped. They could do nothing more except wait for the storm to cease and for help to come.

So, what was taking Artemis and the others so long?

XXX

Artemis, Derek and Kali waited outside the distillery for Deucalion to arrive.

The storm was getting worse and the lunar eclipse would soon be upon them. They had to act rather fast if they were going to stop Jennifer. They'd chosen the distillery for the final battleground as it seemed poetic. The distillery was where Derek and Paige often met before she died and it was where Deucalion had changed from a man of peace into a man of war and vengeance.

Artemis had called Deucalion, informing him of what she knew and where to meet. He'd agreed to come. Now, if only he would bother to show up.

"Cutting it a bit close, aren't you, Artemis?" asked Deucalion, startling them.

"We had a few complications," said Artemis.

Deucalion nodded. "Yes, I've heard." He scowled at Kali. Somehow, he just knew what she'd done. "Quite a sacrifice, isn't it? Sure you can still put up a good fight against Jennifer without being an Alpha, Kali?"

Kali's eyes flashed bright blue as she extended her fangs and claws. "Would you care to test me and find out?"

"Both of you, knock it off!" said Derek, sternly. "We can't fight amongst ourselves right now. We need to stay focused on the plan."

"That's true," agreed Deucalion. "Frankly, I'm looking forward to this, as I think we'll make quite a good team. It might even convince you that you need me to stay here in Beacon Hills."

"I sincerely doubt that," said Artemis. She was only going to Deucalion for help because there was no other choice. "I still mean what I said last night. When this is over, I want you out of my life and I never want to see you again."

"The same goes for me," added Kali.

Deucalion snorted at Kali and then turned to Artemis. "We'll see what happens. So, just out of curiosity, what precisely _is _the plan?"

"When she began teaching here, Jennifer gave us a message. It was the last line from Joseph Conrad's _Heart of Darkness_. I'm going to send her one of my own," said Artemis. She pulled out her cellphone and made a video message to Jennifer's phone. She aimed the camera at the spiral on the door as she began recording.

"Hey, Jennifer, do you see this symbol? This spiral is our symbol for revenge." Artemis then aimed the camera at herself and her companions. "You talk about balance, about saving lives, but we know it's a lie. We know what you really want and now you know where we are. So, come on down if you think you can handle us."

Artemis then ended the recording and sent it off to Jennifer before pocketing her phone.

Kali looked impressed. "If this is what you're like as a Beta, I can't wait to see how you are as an Alpha," she said.

Artemis smiled a little as she shrugged. "All in a night's work. Now, come on. Jennifer's going to be here soon. We need to be ready."

Without further ado, the four werewolves went inside the distillery and then they waited for Jennifer to take the bait and arrive. Deucalion and Derek stood on the sidelines while Kali and Artemis were just a few feet away from the front door.

They didn't have to wait long. Soon, Jennifer arrived and she looked ready for a fight and she wasn't the only one. Peter was with her and judging from the look in his eyes, he was on his ex-girlfriend's side.

Derek's eyes flashed red as he snarled in anger. "Traitor," he growled.

"'Traitor' is such a strong word," said Peter. "I prefer to think I'm merely defecting. It's not that different than what Kali did."

Kali looked furious. "Don't compare yourself to me!" she hissed. "I'm going to do what I set out to do with you in the first place, Peter. You're a dead man and so is Jennifer."

"Ooh," said Deucalion, mockingly. "Like brother against brother. How truly American this is."

"Stuff it, Deucalion. And as for my dying here tonight, Kali, I beg to differ. Look at me, Kali," said Jennifer. "Look at my face. Do you have any idea what it takes to be able to look like this after what you did to me? To able to look _normal?_"

"I don't care," said Kali. As far as she was concerned, Jennifer deserved what Kali had done to her all those years ago. Jennifer had betrayed her and traitors were punished with executions.

"It takes power. Power like this," said Jennifer, as she produced a blade from out of nowhere. "Recognize this? It's the Sword of Lycaon. Legend says it can be used only once to kill one of your kind before it destroys itself. I found it a couple of years ago. I was saving it for you, but now I think I can put it to much better use. Since you took someone I love from me, I'm going to do the same to you." She then tossed her blade at Artemis.

"NO!" yelled Kali.

Before Artemis could dodge the blade or do anything, Kali shoved her out of the way and the sword hit Kali in the heart. The sword then vanished into thin air as Kali fell to the ground, clutching a wound.

"No!" cried Artemis. "Kali!"

While everyone else was frozen in place and watched the tragic scene unfold, Artemis took Kali into her arms and began taking away Kali's pain while applying pressure to her wound to keep her alive.

Jennifer was content to watch the tragic scene unfold while Peter and Deucalion just watched with shock and Derek was staying back in order to give his mate what time she had left with her sister.

"Kali, hold on. Just hold on," said Artemis. "You're going to be okay."

Kali didn't respond to her sister's administrations. She just gently touched Artemis's face and wiped away the tears that were streaming down Artemis's cheeks with the pad of her thumb.

"I'm sorry, Artemis," she whispered. "I never should've left you. I've always regretted it. I wanted to come back, I was just afraid. I should've protected you better. I'm sorry that I broke my promise to never leave you. Please, forgive me."

"Kali, it's okay. There's nothing to forgive," said Artemis. She had no grudges against her sister. She felt only love and desperation for her sister to survive. "You were always with me. And you're with me now. Everything's going to be okay, you'll see." But even as she said it, Artemis knew it was futile. Kali was dying and there was nothing anyone could do.

"You're going to be a great Alpha someday," said Kali, as she smiled a little. "And you're going to be a better one than I could ever hope to be. Just remember that I love you, and no matter where I go, I will always be your sister."

"And I'll always be yours," said Artemis, as she cried. "I love you, sis. Please don't leave me again, Kali. Please."

But it was too late. Kali's eyes closed, her hand fell limp to her side and she breathed her last. Kali was gone forever. She had died in the manner she'd always wished—by giving her life so that her sister could live.

Artemis threw back her head as she howled in grief. Artemis had just lost her sister a second time and this time, there would be no hope of Kali ever returning.

Artemis shook with grief and anger as she wolfed out and turned to face Jennifer. Jennifer had betrayed Kali's trust and friendship, forced Kali into a kill or be killed situation, she'd taken and endangered lives to further her plans for revenge and that included the lives of those Artemis cared about, and now Jennifer had just taken Kali away from Artemis. The woman had caused enough grief in the lives of Artemis and her family. Now Jennifer was going to regret ever returning to Beacon Hills. For the first time in her life, Artemis truly wanted to take vengeance.

"YOU MONSTER!" roared Artemis.

Deucalion held out his arm, stopping Artemis in her tracks. "Don't worry, Artemis. Kali will be avenged." Deucalion tossed aside his cane and glasses as he shed his jacket. "Are you ready for this, Jennifer? Did you gather your herbs, pray to your ancient gods and oak trees, and make your sacrifices? Shall I show them why you had to kill twelve innocent people just to have enough power to face me?

Deucalion then wolfed out, causing Artemis and Derek to recoil in horror. Deucalion truly was the Demon Wolf, for his wolf form was very demonic looking in every sense of the word. He even _sounded _demonic, if that was even possible.

Jennifer looked truly scared as Deucalion charged at her.

Peter came in between them. He wolfed out and tried to stop Deucalion by lashing out with his claws, but Deucalion just grabbed both Peter's arms and chuckled as Peter tried and failed to get out of Deucalion's grasp.

Jennifer then tried to use her new power against Deucalion, but it had no effect on him. Suddenly, Deucalion grabbed both Peter and Jennifer by their throats and then he flung them to the ground. Peter lashed out at Deucalion again and was even helped by Derek, but Deucalion was more powerful than them both. He sent them both flying into the machinery and rubble that was in the distillery and knocked down Jennifer when she tried to attack him yet again.

Deucalion then grabbed Jennifer by the back of her neck and dragged her over to Artemis, who had reverted back to her human form and was waiting for the opportune moment before she made her move.

"Kill her," ordered Deucalion. "It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"That doesn't make it right," said Artemis. Part of her wanted revenge and part of her wanted to see Jennifer dead, but that didn't mean she was going to do it.

Deucalion didn't take kindly to this. He let out a roar that caused Artemis to fall to her knees and shift against her will.

"Stop it!" growled Derek, as he rose up.

"You be quiet!" snarled Deucalion, before he cast his gaze upon Artemis again. "Think about what Jennifer's done to you, Artemis. She betrayed your sister and killed her! She tried to poison your mate and she's going to kill your mother if you don't end her now. That storm you hear is her trying to bury your mother and the parents of your friends alive! It's her connection to the telluric currents that's causing this! Kill her and it ends!"

"He's lying!" blurted out Jennifer. "It won't end with me, Artemis. Deucalion will force you to kill your own pack and the lives of everyone you love! He'll turn you into a monster because that's what he does!"

"Are you really going to listen to this pitiful excuse of a woman when the lives of your mother and the parents of your friends are at risk?" demanded Deucalion. "Kill her now and it's over. Become the Alpha you're meant to be!"

Artemis shakily rose to her feet. "I will become the Alpha I'm meant to be," she said. "But not with murder. I have what you don't, Deucalion. I have a pack that's loyal to me and my mate. I have faith in them, just as they have faith in me. As we speak, they're saving the lives of my mother, the sheriff and Alison's father."

Deucalion just scoffed. "What good are they to you now when you're fighting to live while they're off elsewhere?"

"Just because they can't save us, doesn't mean they're not part of a strong pack," growled Derek, as he stood protectively in front of his mate. "We may not be Alphas like you, but we're stronger than you realize."

"I told you before, Deucalion. I'm not in the business of taking lives," said Artemis.

Deucalion let out a frustrated growl of anger as he dropped Jennifer, tossed Derek aside and then grabbed Artemis. He held the back of her neck with one hand and tightly grasped her arm with the other.

"Maybe you just need a little guidance," he snarled, as he began dragging her over to where Jennifer lay.

Artemis struggled against Deucalion until he finally came to a stop. "There's something I forgot to tell you. My sister told me that you're not always blind." Artemis pulled out some flash grenades from her pocket and tossed them to the ground, causing them go off.

Deucalion roared in agony as he released Artemis and then became blinded by the flash grenades. He frantically lashed out, trying to do something, but his blindness made him unable to do anything.

Artemis quickly rejoined Derek's side and he wrapped a protective arm around her as the lunar eclipse then hit. Everything became dark and then suddenly, there was a faint glow from the eclipsed moonlight.

Artemis looked at her hands in shock. She was no longer wolfed out. She was reverted back to her human form, but she didn't just _look _human. For the first time since Peter had bitten her, she actually felt like her old human self again and she wasn't the only one who was feeling the effects of the lunar eclipse.

Both Peter and Derek looked frightened and vulnerable and Deucalion was completely blind and helpless thanks to the lunar eclipse.

"The eclipse," said Deucalion, sounding frightened. "It's started."

For the next fifteen minutes, they were at Jennifer's mercy. Assuming she had any mercy left to bestow upon them. It was then that Artemis realized something.

"Jennifer…she's gone," gasped Artemis.

Jennifer was no longer anywhere in sight. This was not good.

Suddenly, Jennifer reappeared and this time she was in her Darach form and she was ready to enact the final stage of her plans for vengeance. Her appearance was nothing if not the scariest thing that Artemis had seen in her entire life and considering all Artemis had seen since Peter had first turned her, that was saying something.

Jennifer let out a horrifying shriek as she tossed Artemis into the machinery before she knocked down Derek. Jennifer then began beating the living crap out of Deucalion, who was helpless before her, only to stop when Peter called out to her.

"Jennifer, wait! Stop!" said Peter. "He doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?" demanded Jennifer.

"He doesn't know what you really look like," said Derek, as he shakily rose to his feet. "Deucalion knows the cost of bringing Kali into his pack and he knows what that monster did to you, but he's never seen the price you paid."

"Let Deucalion see it," said Peter. "Let him see the price for his misjudgment. Let him see the face of the one who'll put a stop him once and for all. It won't be true vengeance unless you do it. You know I'm right. I went through the same thing when I punished Kate for what she did to my family."

Artemis held her breath as she watched Jennifer silently contemplate this. Much to her relief, Jennifer agreed.

"You're right," said Jennifer. "He hasn't seen it. But he _needs_ to see." Jennifer then knelt down and placed a hand over Deucalion's sightless eyes as she healed them.

When Jennifer pulled back, Deucalion's eyes were no longer sightless. They were healed completely of the damage Gerard had done all those years ago. Deucalion was shocked by this, but he made no sound as he finally looked upon Jennifer's Darach form and then her human form.

Jennifer then tried to finish what she'd started, but she ended up pulling back and falling into Peter's arms. All her strength was gone.

"What is this?" hissed Jennifer.

"Healing him made you weak," said Artemis, smugly. Peter's 'defection' to Jennifer had been nothing but part of their plans. They'd counted on Jennifer restoring Deucalion's sight as they knew it would weaken her. "Just like Kali was weakened after she healed Derek."

"You won't have your strength for at least a few minutes," said Peter.

Jennifer looked at Peter with hurt and betrayal. "I loved you!" she hissed. "How could you betray me like this?"

Peter was cold and unrepentant. "All's fair in love and war, sweetheart. You betrayed me first. I'm just returning the favor."

"You're making a mistake! If you don't kill Deucalion, he'll never be out of your lives!" cried Jennifer. How could they not see the terrible mistake they were making in allowing him to live?

"Because, like my mother used to say, werewolves may be predators, but we don't have to be killers," said Derek. "Now let them go!"

"Never!" snarled Jennifer. She then pushed Peter aside and fought him, but after a few moments of him not fighting back, Jennifer stopped and tears came to her eyes as she pulled back. No matter what Peter did, Jennifer could not harm or kill him. She loved him too much to do that.

Just then, the lunar eclipse ended and Peter grabbed Jennifer by the throat. "Your fifteen minutes are up," he snarled, as he tossed her across the room.

Artemis then began to charge towards Jennifer, only to stop in her tracks when Jennifer stood up and produced a mountain ash barrier, blocking them all from touching her.

"Like I told you, Peter! Either Derek or the parents!" said Jennifer, angrily. "I guess I'll just have to take them now." The storm then worsened as she cast her hands up into the air. "In a few minutes, my guardian sacrifice will be complete and I won't need a lunar eclipse to kill even a demon wolf!"

Peter gave no reply.

Artemis gave Jennifer a very cold look as she place her hands on the barrier.

Jennifer then looked very smug. "You can't break it, Artemis. I seem to recall you were unable to do it last time. Why should this time be any different?"

"Because that was before," said Artemis.

"Before what?" demanded Jennifer, impatiently.

Artemis smirked. "Before I truly believed I was ready." Dr. Deaton had once said when Artemis believed she was truly ready to become the True Alpha, Artemis's ascension would be complete. Now was the time when Artemis truly believed she was ready to become the True Alpha she was meant to be.

Artemis then began pushing against the mountain ash barrier with all her might. As she did so, Artemis could feel power surging through her as she began to penetrate the barrier and this time, she fully accepted it. Artemis felt her eyes change from the bright gold of a Beta's to the bright, searing red of an Alphas. She then took two steps forward and the barrier broke.

Jennifer stared at Artemis with fear and shock. "How did you do that?"

"I'm the True Alpha now," replied Artemis. She gave Jennifer a cold look. "I should make you pay for what you did to me and to my sister with your life. But that would make me no better than you." No matter what it promised her, or how much she might want it in times of grief and anger, Artemis was never going to take a life or take revenge. She had seen what it did to people, how it consumed them like a poison, and she was _never _going to take that path. She may have been a predator, but she was _not _a killer. "You can't restore the lives you've taken. But you _will _stop this storm or you'll be begging for death by time I've finished with you."

Jennifer scoffed in disbelief. "You're bluffing."

"She may be, but I'm not," growled Deucalion. He stormed over to Jennifer and killed her, causing the storm to cease. This time, Jennifer would not be returning.

For a few moments, there was nothing save for the tense silence until Peter broke.

"Artemis, I didn't know she had that sword," said Peter. "I'm sorry about Kali." He sounded truly regretful and Artemis could tell he wasn't lying. But that changed nothing between them.

"I don't blame you, Peter. But please…just wait outside," said Artemis, softly. Artemis didn't blame Peter for Kali's death, but Artemis was completely worn out, both physically and emotionally. She didn't have the strength to deal with Peter at the moment. She needed him to leave just for a little while.

Peter nodded and then left the distillery.

Artemis then took Derek's hand in hers as they faced Deucalion.

"So, what're you going to do now? Kill me?" asked Deucalion.

"No," said Derek. He and Artemis had discussed Deucalion's fate if they made it through this alive and they had agreed on one outcome. "We're letting you go."

Deucalion looked surprised. "I beg your pardon?"

"Killing you would gain us nothing and even if it did, we're not going to do it unless you give us no other choice," said Artemis. "You were once a man of vision. We're letting you go because we're hoping you can be that man again. But if you prove us wrong, then having your eyesight back won't help you because you'll never see us coming."

Deucalion was silent as he considered this and he eventually nodded. "Very well," he said. "I'll go. But keep my number. Jennifer's actions will have long-term effects on Beacon Hills. You may require my assistance in the future and after what you've done, I'd be more than happy to give it."

"We'll see," said Derek. He couldn't foresee them every needed Deucalion's aid again and even if they did, Deucalion would not be sought out unless it was a last resort. "Now, go before we change our minds."

Deucalion nodded and then departed, but not before he told them one last thing. "You're going to make a very wise True Alpha, Artemis. Your legacy will shape the future for generations to come. I'm sure of it."

Artemis said nothing as Deucalion departed. Once he was gone, Artemis finally allowed herself to break down in grief for her sister as Derek held her tight against him. They had won the war. But they had also lost.

XXX

In the days that followed, life in Beacon Hills quieted down.

Following their rescue, the kidnapped parents took time to recover from their ordeal before they tried to get back to their lives such as they were.

Jennifer was labeled as the culprit behind the twelve deaths. As her last three sacrifices were able to name her as their kidnapper and a great deal of evidence had been uncovered at her apartment, nobody in Beacon Hills doubted she was the culprit.

Ethan and Aiden had decided to stick around Beacon Hills. They were no longer Alphas but neither were they truly Omegas again as they had a pack of their own in the lives of the friends they'd made in Beacon Hills. Cora was now enrolled in regular high school as she wanted to try and live a settled life again. Lydia was coming to terms with knowing that she was a banshee and was working on getting proper control of it with Deaton and Jackson's help.

Alison was in a steady relationship with Isaac and she had persuaded her father to stay out of retirement as according to Deaton, Beacon Hills was going to become a beacon again due to Jennifer's actions. A whole supernatural world was going to come to Beacon Hills and they had to be prepared for it. Chris had agreed and now they had a new code. Instead of hunting those who hunted them, the Argents swore to protect those who could not protect themselves.

Peter had decided to go on a walkabout. He needed time to himself after what Jennifer had put him through. Derek and Artemis had agreed to let him go as they knew what it was like to need to get away after going through such an ordeal, but they'd also made Peter agree to check in at least once a week. Peter still needed to be kept on a leash. Peter agreed and soon departed from Beacon Hills. Where he was going, not even he knew.

As for Agent Moon…it seemed he was planning on sticking around Beacon Hills. He'd acquired an apartment. But just because he was sticking around, did not mean that he was welcome in the lives of his ex-wife and daughter. A few days following their reunion at the hospital, Agent Moon tried yet again to speak with Artemis, but Artemis refused to even hear him out. There was no place for him in her life and nor did she want there to be.

At the moment, Artemis was at the cemetery, laying down beautiful flowers onto her sister's gravestone.

_Kalika Moon_

_Cherished Daughter and Sister_

_Loved always, Never Forgotten_

Melissa had been devastated when she learned of Kali's death, and she'd grieved with Artemis over the loss. With the help of Derek and the pack, Kali's body had been placed in her coffin and she now rested in peace.

In a way of keeping Kali close, Artemis now wore her sister's locket on the same chain as the crescent moon necklace she always wore. The crescent moon and the locket symbolized two important people in Artemis's life, ones that she would always love.

Artemis knelt down in front of her sister's grave. "I miss you so much, but at least now I know you didn't abandon me. You were just trying to protect me. I love you, Kali. I hope wherever you are, you're at peace."

As Artemis rose up and began to leave the cemetery, she could've sworn she felt Kali's presence around her, which caused her to smile.

Artemis then met Derek at the cemetery entrance and as he intertwined their fingers as she slid his hand into hers.

"Hey, I've been thinking," said Derek, as they walked to his car.

"Oh?" said Artemis, intrigued.

"Sometimes in my family, we had a matriarchal leadership. People like my mother would be the ones who led the packs," said Derek. "And since you're the True Alpha now, I was wondering if maybe you should lead our pack now."

Artemis shook her head. It was a tempting offer, but she was going to have to decline. "No. I may be the True Alpha, but I've got a lot to learn. I'm willing to lead our pack, but only if you do it with me. We'll lead our pack like we've done everything else, together."

Derek smiled. "Deal." He then pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I love you, Huntress."

"I love you too, Derek," said Artemis, as she kissed him again.

No matter what came their way, they would get it through together. As long as they stood together, united, nothing could stop them.

_**A/N: Since the third season of **_**Teen Wolf **_**has been split in two, I've decided to do the same. So, watch for the next installment, **_**Darkness of the Moon**_**. **_


End file.
